Forever After
by LittleInfinity05
Summary: New York City is beautiful, alluring, and dangerous if you don't know what you're doing. For college freshman Bella Swan, admission into Columbia University was just too good to pass up, so she's intent on making New York her home no matter what. But what happens when she falls in with the enigmatic Cullen family? Will she be able to refuse the life of luxury they can give her?
1. Chapter 1

_**AN: Hi guys! This is my first story in a very long time. I used to write fanfiction all the time when I was younger, and I'd like to get back into it. So, here's the first chapter! Let me know what you think. **_

"Now, I know that you're probably ready for me to be out of your hair.." My mother mused, absentmindedly straightening the duvet on my bed. "But just remember you can call me anytime. I mean it. I don't care what time it is, or what I'm doing. I will always answer the phone." Her eyes were everywhere but on me and it made my heartache a little because I knew she was trying not to cry.

"Mom.." I reached out and gently grabbed her arm to keep her still. Finally, her brown eyes met my matching pair and she smiled as a few tears rolled down her cheeks.

"I'm just so proud of you, baby." She said, drawing me in for a bone crushing hug. It seemed like an eternity passed before she finally pulled away and clear her face of anymore sadness. "Your father is too, I'm sure. I know he regrets not being able to be here today." She added quickly.

"I know, Mom." I assured her, offering up a small smile. "Trust me, everything is going to be fine. And I'll be home for the holidays before you know it." I insisted.

"Well, if you want to come home before then, all you have to do is say so. I don't care what it costs, I'll get you there." She affirmed with a tight nod. I admired her unconditional love towards me and my well-being. "Now, I'm going to leave. I don't want to miss my fight. But don't follow me out, okay? Because if you do, I might break down and then you'll never be able to get rid of me. I'll be living on your couch until the day you graduate and come back home."

"Okay." I agreed. She pulled me in for one last hug and I closed my eyes, breathing in her scent as she kissed the side of my head one last time. "Bye, Mom."

"Goodbye, Bella."

We all knew that it was going to be hard, but as I watched out the window as the cab that my mom had ordered disappeared down the busy Manhattan streets, I couldn't help the overwhelming sense of loneliness that washed over me. With a sigh, I dropped down onto my bed and looked around the place that I would be calling home for the next few years.

The walls were a standard white color, much to my distaste, but I'd managed to cover most of them up with color decor that matched the blue and teal tones matching the colors in the pattern of my duvet. The room was spacious and the walk in closet was definitely a plus. And the view from my window that looked over Manhattan was swoon-worthy for sure. All in all, I couldn't find any complaints regarding the student apartments near Columbia University.

My eyes wandered to the room directly across from mine. The door was wide open showing off a vacant space. I had been informed by housing that I wouldn't be without a roommate, but in the three days that I'd been here getting settled, she had yet to arrive. I had tried looking the elusive Alice Cullen up on social media, but it seemed as though she didn't exist. There wasn't a trace of her anywhere. It was a little unsettling to not know anything about the stranger I'd be sharing my space with.

I knew it would do no good to dwell on the possibilities, and so instead I got up and decided that I'd make a trip to campus and use the map to find my way around so that I wasn't wasting time being lost on the first day of classes next week.

I returned to the apartment hours later and a very much sweaty. The linger summer heart in New York was sweltering compared to the rainy, humid heat of Washington. A shower was definitely in order. As I approached the door, my keys in hand and ready to unlock it, I was surprised to find it hanging wide open. Being the daughter of an eternally cautious Chief of Police, leaving my apartment door open, especially in a city like this, is something that I would never do.

The pepper spray hanging off my key chain was now poised in my hand, my thumb on the trigger, ready to push down should I come face to face with any threats. I walked in slowly, following the noise of music through the kitchen and living room, getting louder as I approached the bedrooms. I took cautious steps forward then. My bedroom door was shut, just as I had left it, but it seemed the sound was coming from the vacant room.

I tried to subtly peer inside, but being the klutz that I am, I stumbled forward, just barely catching myself. A flurry of dark hair appeared from inside the closet suddenly, and a loud squeal erupted.

"Oh my god, Bella!" Before I had time to react, the petite girl was hugging me tightly as if we'd know each other our whole lives. If I hadn't been so shocked, I might've been slightly embarrassed that my skin was sticky from sweat, though she didn't seem to mind.

"I'm so glad that you're here! I was really hoping that you'd be home when I got here, but I know how alluring the city can be. I'm not surprised you went to explore." Words flew out of her mouth at a mile a minute and I could only nod my head. "I'm a so excited to finally be here. I mean, I'm a New York native so the city itself isn't all that new and exciting. But I mean, my own apartment? I mean, our own apartment! It's just so exciting. And I just know that you and I are going to be best friends, really. I'm not going to lie, I looked up on on social media, and and I just think you're so amazing! I just can't wait to get to know more about you. Is it weird that I looked you up? Oh, probably, but who cares?" She shrugged, offering a beaming smile.

"Wait.. you have social media?" I finally cut in. "I tried to look you up too." A sheepish smile spread across the lips and I swear I saw her smile get bigger.

"Yeah, we're going to get along perfectly." She assured me, taking her phone out. "You probably couldn't find me because Alice is actually my middle name. I use my full name on Facebook even though I don't really like it." Mary Alice Cullen. "My parents prefer it, but I don't. But I don't. I mean, really? Mary? It's hardly unique. Alice is much prettier, and I won't get lost in the masses. But what can I do? When you come from a family like mine, you've just got to suck it up and do what you're told."

Family like hers? I wasn't exactly sure what she meant by that, but I was sure that I'd find out. Alice seemed like she liked to talk.

"Come help me unpack!" She insisted, grabbing my hand and dragging my into her room.

"Oh, uh.. I could really use a shower.." I said, not wanting to be rude, but also not wanting to feel as gross as I currently did.

"Oh, yeah, of course! We've gotta be looking our best for tonight anyways!" She said, shooing me back towards the door then.

"Tonight...?"

"Well, yeah! We're going out!"

_Oh dear._

It didn't really seem plausible to me that we would be able to get into a club seeing as we were both underage, but as Alice curled my hair and did my makeup as if I was her own personal Barbie Doll, she assured me that getting into Infusion, the most exclusive nightclub in the city, wouldn't be a problem. She had combed through my wardrobe, deciding that nothing I owned was worthy of a night out, and then dragged me to her own since we were seemingly the same size, despite her being slightly shorter.

"We're going to have to go shopping, like, soon." She insisted, throwing various items around her closet and she tried to decide on something for me. "Try this on." She had piled some clothes into my arm to seemingly make up and outfit and the ushered me into the bathroom, shutting the door behind me.

What she had picked out was nothing that I would've ever found for myself. I was a old jeans and tee-shirts, over-sized sweaters and leggings kind of girl. Nothing about my clothing choices every suggested that I was trying to impress somebody, and I was perfectly okay with that. Why I was allowing this complete stranger to bulldoze her way into my life and change everything was beyond me, but I went along with it anyways. I was thousands of miles from home, and maybe it was time for a new Bella to be born. Besides, if I didn't like it, I could always tell her and go back to who I was.

Picking up the top, I realized it was a bodysuit, but it seemed modest enough, being black with long sleeves. And then I turned it around. The entire back was open, with lace around the edges. I wouldn't be able to wear a bra with it, which was a little horrifying. Still, I pulled it on out of sheer hope that Alice would think I looked hideous and let me change. The light blue jeans that she had picked to go with them had rips all the way up to my thighs making me wonder why someone would have even bothered to wear p at all. Not to mention they were so tight that they actually made it appear as if I had an ass.

To finish it off, she had grabbed a pair of blank ankle boot wedges. Thankfully they were both cute and comfortable, and seemingly the only part of the outfit I actually enjoyed. I stepped out of the bathroom timidly.

"You look HOT." Alice said, looking over me with a smug smirk, apparently proud of the work that she'd done.

"Now, let's go."

I could hear the music clearly from inside the sleek black town car that Alice had insisted on paying for as we pulled up in front of Infusion. There was a pit in my stomach and the door opened and I watched as she got out, unsure if I should follow. There was no way that we were getting in, and even if we did, we were still underage.

She glanced back at me and I chewed my bottom lip contemplatively before finally stepping out of the car.

"Alice, I'm not sure about this..." I told her, but she just flashed me a smile and batted her pretty golden eyes as she lead me towards where two rather large security guards were standing in front of a velvet rope.

_This is it._ I thought. T_hey're never going to let us in. For Christs sake, Alice is so tiny she looks like she's twelve!_

"Good evening, Miss Cullen." The large of the two guard greeted her before lifting the rope so that we could pass.

"Hello, Riley. Thank you."I'm sure that the shock was written all over my face as she lead me inside the luxury club.

"Alice, how on earth did you-" She cut me off, grinning wildly.

"My family owns this place." _Oh_.

She held my hand tightly as we weaved through the crowds towards a set of stairs leading to a private balcony. Yet another guard greeted us and let us pass through without hassle. When we reached the top, I took in the marble floors and sleek leather couches with people draped over them.

A blonde with piercing blue eyes set her gaze of me, and almost instantly it narrowed.

"Who's this?" Her words were like ice, cold and hard.

"Don't be a bitch, Rosalie." Alice was quick to bite back, and I shifted my gaze away from the gorgeous ice queen, not wanting to be caught in the middle of whatever was between the two of them. "Ignore her. The rest of us usually do."

"Who is she?" I asked, glancing back once more to find that her gaze was still fixed on me.

"My boyfriends sister." She rolled her eyes. "Speaking of.." She smiled as we reached the other side of the Balcony where a tall boy with curly blonde hair was laughing at whatever his companion, a burly brunette with eyes that matched Alice's were standing.

"Jaz!" The blonde turned at the sound of her voice and his eyes lit up. He grinned and opened his arms and she was quick to jump into them and place a soft kiss on his lips.

"Hey, Aly-cat. Are you all settled in?" He asked. I found myself feeling almost jealous at the obvious love that these two had for one another.

"Mhm. I wanted you guys to meet my new roommate. This is Isabella Swan." She said, finally turning the attention on me. I could feel my cheeks heating up as I offered up an awkward wave.

"Hey. Uh, you can just call me Bella." I supplied, resisting the urge to nervously run my hand through my hair.

"Welcome to the family, Bella!" The bigger guy boomed. He wrapped me up in a hug and lifted me off the ground, and I'm sure that sheer terror was written all over my face when he finally sat me back on the ground.

"That's my brother Emmett. He knows no boundaries." Alice was trying her best to stifle her giggles. "And this is my boyfriend, Jasper."

The blonde held out his hand. "Pleasure to meet you, ma'am." His voice, I finally noticed, held a slight southern twinge to it.

I shook his hand and a shiver went down my spine, but it wasn't from my interacting with Alice's boyfriend. I could feel eyes on me, and I was sure it was still Rosalie. But, as turned to meet her gaze once more, I was met with the most intense hazel eyes I'd ever seen.

"Who the hell are you?"


	2. Chapter 2

**_AN: Thank you guys so much for the overwhelming positive support towards this story! I'm really glad that people seemed to enjoy how it started off. Here's the next update!_**

_"Who the hell are you?"_

"Edward.." Alice was much more gentle speaking to him than she had been with a rude blonde, and she set a hand on my shoulder reassuringly. "This is Isabella. She's my new roommate. This is my other brother, Edward."

His eyes scanned over every inch of me and I could feel the rising to my cheeks under his scrutinizing gaze.

"Uh, Bella." I correctly quickly, and his gaze finally met mine, eyes slight narrowed as if I should be reprimanded for speaking without being spoke to.

"You know better than to bring strangers here, Alice. Especially tonight. You're not even supposed to be here." _What did that mean? _I thought.

He never took his gaze off of me as he continued to speak to his sister. "Now, please see Miss Swan out." _Had I done something wrong? Or somehow offended this man within seconds of meeting him?_

A giggle came from Rosalie, her face holding a triumphant smirk. It couldn't help but want to smack it off of her, but I was too distracted by the tension that had seemed to settle over the group that I'd just been introduced to.

"C'mon, Eddie." Emmett's nickname for his younger brother seemed to have struck a chord, for Edward turned his narrowed gaze then to the burly brunette. "It's not like she's here to do any harm. You seriously need to calm down. The girls just came to have a couple of drinks, maybe dance a little, and then they'll be outta here."

"Yeah, exactly." Alice was quick to agree with him on their plans. I wondered why it was such a big deal to Edward, but I didn't dare ask, nor did I really want to know. Sometimes a person was better off being blissfully ignorant.

"Fine. But you're both out of her before midnight." His voice was like steel, his words seemingly law.

"Deal." Alice took my hand and I stumbled along side her towards the stairs, my anxiety dissipating with each step that put more distance between us and that those intense green eyes.

When we reached the bar, I leaned against it and took a deep breath. This was already way out of my comfort zone and the encounter we'd just had upstairs didn't make things any better. Not to mention if my father had any idea of what I was doing right now, he'd drive out here himself and haul me back home as fast as I could say New York.

"Alice, what was that all about?" I finally asked as a bartender sat two pink colored drinks down in front of us.

"Oh.." She waved a hand dismissively. "My brother just isn't good at meeting new people. He's sort of a self-proclaimed family leader, when my father's not around anyways. Thinks he needs to protect the family and keep us all in line."

"Oh.." I guess that made enough sense. But it still seemed a little odd to me.

"I love this song!" An upbeat pop song had been remixed to include an electronic background beat, perfect for a club setting. "Let's dance." I was clumsy, not at all the type that should be drinking and dancing for I was sure to make a full of myself, but Alice wasn't the type to take no for an answer, so I grabbed my drink and let her drag me out onto the floor with her.

I had lost myself in the drinks and the music as the hours passed and was having a surprisingly good time considering the events that had transpired when we first arrived. I was buzzed, a little giggly, and not at all ready to go home.

"Shit.." Alice flashed her phone in my face, and I had to reach out grab her hand to steady it so that I could see what she was showing me. It was twelve-seventeen. Shit indeed. We were supposed to be gone eighteen minutes ago.

"Okay, uhm.." Alice giggled. "No big deal, right? I just have to go to the bathroom, and then we'll leave. I'll text my drive to pull the car around, so, uhm... go wait by the door." She said, giving me a light shove. I nodded and stumbled in that direction.

The cool breeze coming through the doors as people entered felt good and had me gasping for more. I know that Alice had said to wait by the door, but she never said whether to wait inside or out. It couldn't hurt to step outside. I nearly tripped down the concrete steps and giggled as I fell into the cool brick wall of the building. The cool air washed over my exposed skin, lowering my body heat and making me feel even lighter.

"Well aren't you a just a delight." Someone said. I opened my eyes, not even realizing that I had closed them, and was met with a pair of silvery blue ones that sent a shiver down my spine, and not in a good way. "What's your name, darling?"

"Theresa." I'm not sure why I felt compelled to lie to this man, but something just seemed so off putting about him.

"Ah, and miss Theresa, where per say is your boyfriend?" The grin on his face seemed more malicious than friendly.

"Girlfriend, actually." I could hear myself slurring my words. "She's just behind me. Should be out in a minute." I went to turn away from him, to walk back into the club, but he stopped me, his hand wrapped around my upper arm tighter than necessary."

Before I could say anything, or make any noise, someone was at my side.

"I suggest you take your hand off of her now, Witherdale." I recognized that steel toned voice. I looked up at Edward, glad to see his fiery gaze fixed on someone other than me.

"This doesn't concern you, Cullen." The blonde man sneered, tugging me closer to him.

"It does if she's my guest, at my club." Edward's words seemed oddly calm, or maybe that was just my intoxicated brain dulling it down. I couldn't be sure. He reached out and forcefully removed the man's hand from my arm before gently pushing me behind him and out of view.

"I suggest, James, that you run off before any real trouble comes of this. And you can tell your boss that if he doesn't keep his miscreants in line, that out deal is off."

"Bella!" I turned to see Alice rush towards me. My gaze flicked back to the man, James, and he was watching me with a wicked glint in his eye now that my lies had been revealed.

With one last narrowed gaze at Edward, he turned and headed off down the street.

"I told you two to be out of here before midnight." He snapped, turning on Alice and I.

"I know, I know." Alice said, shaking her head. She was much more sober than I was, but I couldn't understand how. We'd had the same amount to drink. But then again.. I'd only drank once before. And it was an utter disaster. "We just lost track of time."

I couldn't help the giggle that escaped my lips, and at the sound, Edward turned his fuming gaze on me.

"You're funny when you're mad." More giggles poured out. "Your nostrils flare out, kind of like a bull!" I reached out and poked his nose. He was clearly caught off guard by my actions and turned his attention back to Alice.

"How much did you guys drink?" He demanded.

"Uh.." She used her fingers to count. "Like.. 6 of the pink panty droppers."

"Did you take into consideration that your new friend might not be as much of a heavy drinker as you are?" He pointed out. "Jesus, Alice."

"Hey! Don't be mean to her!" I tried, and ultimately failed, to push him, but rather stumbled into him. I swear I heard a couple of giggles escape Alice's lips but she quickly stifled them when he shot her a glare.

"I'm taking you guys home." He snapped.

It was a blessing that the elevator in our building worked because I don't think there was any way I would have made it up seven flights of stairs. And I would definitely be talking to the landlord about the tilted floors in the hallway. Alice and Edward were both at my side the entire time, though I was sure if they wouldn't let go I would've been fine.

"This is taking to long." Suddenly I felt the ground disappear from beneath my feet, and I had to quickly wrap my arms around Edward's neck to steady myself.

"Hey!" I whined. "I was fine."

"Like hell." He responded. His nostrils flared again and I giggled more. This man probably wanted to kill me right about now but I didn't have a care in the world.

Soon enough we were inside the apartment and I could hear him asking Alice to direct him to my bedroom, but his words sounded distant. In the short amount of time that it had taken us to get down the hallway, it seems that I had begun falling asleep.

And then I was being lowered down, by body finally hitting my soft bed. I blinked my eyes open and peered down at Edward as he took my shoes off. He discarded them on the floor and then used the blanket that had been folded at the end of my bed to cover me up.

"You're not so scary." I said as he began to retreat.

He turned slightly, and I could've sworn I saw a slight smile grace his lips for the first time all night.

"Don't go spreading that around." And with that, he was gone.


	3. Chapter 3

_**AN: Decided to post another chapter tonight because I was feeling ambitious and inspired thanks to all of the positive feedback that I've been receiving. Hope you guys enjoy!**_

The first thing I noticed upon waking up was that my head was pounding. The second was that I was going to be sick.

I was thankful to find that a trashcan had been placed next to my bed at some point last night, for almost as soon as I had sat up, I was using it to empty the contents of my stomach. It seemed like quite of bit of time had passed, but finally there seemed to be nothing left in me, so with shaky hands I set it back down. Running a hand through my messy brown curls, I looked around the room, trying to remember how I'd gotten back here.

As the memories flooded my mind, a groan escaped my lips. How embarrassing, I thought.

I spotted my phone on my bedside table and grabbed it. It was nearly noon already.

Hauling myself out of bed, I stumbled into the bathroom and started the shower before stripping out of last nights clothes. When I stepped under the hot water, it cascaded down my body and made me feel slightly better. I probably could've stayed in their all day, washing off all of the regrets of last night. I could only imagine what my father would think if he knew. The police chiefs daughter alone for the first time in her life goes underage drinking and has to have a strange man take her home.

The healing powers of a shower and a fresh set of clothes were amazing. Wandering out to the kitchen, I knew that a gatorade and some tylenol would do me some good right now.

"Oh good, you're awake!" Alice was sitting at the breakfast bar sipping orange juice out of a champagne glass and watching some video on her laptop. Hitting the pause button, she turned her full attention on me.

"Let's go out to brunch." She said, and before I could decline, she added, "My treat. As an apology, for last night. I didn't know that you were a light-weight." Finished off with a little giggle.

"Uh.. yeah, sure." I said, rubbing the back of my neck awkwardly. "I'm sorry.. by the way. For my behavior last night." I could feel a blush beginning to creep across my cheeks.

"Oh, god, you absolutely do not need to apologize." Alice insisted, shaking her head. "You were completely fine, really. You're a relatively good drunk. I've seen much worse." She explain with a half smile.

I returned her smile and nodded in understanding.

"I think my brother took a liking to you last night." She mused, shutting her laptop screen and standing up.

"Oh, yeah. Emmett seems really cool." I told her, thinking back to the brother that didn't totally hate my guts.

"Yeah, Emmett get's along great with just about everyone so long as you don't wrong him or someone he cares about. But.. I wasn't talking about him." Alice glanced over at me with a smirk on her face. "I meant Edward."

"Oh.. no. I don't think so. You saw the way he looked at me. There was nothing but distrust in his eyes." I shivered slightly remembering when his gaze first landed on me. No. He most certainly had not taken a liking to me.

Alice hummed and shrugged her shoulders. "I know my brother pretty well.. and I definitely think that you're wrong." There was a mischievous glint in her eye, and I absolutely did not want to know why.

I just shook my head in response to her.

* * *

We went to a cute little brunch place that was within walking distance of our apartment. It looked as if it were modeled after a french bistro and offered and outdoor patio in the back where there were gardens full of exotic flowers that your wouldn't expect to grow so well in a city setting.

I had to admit, though I was initially against coming, I was glad that I did because by the time that the food got to the table, I was starving.

The waffles were to die for, being perfectly fluffy and covered in fresh strawberries. And their cafe mocha was excellently prepared. Overall, I determined that this place would definitely have to become a regular for me.

"So.. have you never drank before or are you normally a light weight?" We'd finished our breakfast and were just sitting around laughing about the night before now. I'd had a surprisingly good time, save for the start of the night, and the weird encounter at the end of the night before we'd left.

"Ah.. I drank, once. With an ex boyfriend. It was.. bad. But, I guess I really didn't have the opportunity to be much of a wild child. When your dad is the chief of police, there are certain expectations that you have to meet." I explained.

"That makes sense. Well, you were hilarious. I swear, when you bopped Edward on the nose, he was just so in shock that I don't think he knew what to do with himself. I've never seen my brother speechless like that." We both laugh in unison at the memory. I would be so embarrassed by my actions if I ever came face to face with him again, but for now it was just a funny anecdote.

My mind floated back to him tucking me into bed, and I remembered the small smile on his lips. It was the kind of smile that could break hearts.

"Whatchya thinking about?" Alice pulled me out of my memory and I met her curious gaze with a shrug.

"Just everything that happened last night. That guy.. uh, James? Edward seemed to know him. But before Edward got there, I had given him a fake name.. and told him you were my girlfriend. I don't know why I lied. Something about him just rubbed me the wrong away." I explained to her, deciding not to mention the sweet moment I'd had with her brother. Because really, I was drunk and I had probably just imagined the whole thing.

"Oh." Alice's face fell slightly. "I don't blame you. I would've done the same thing had I been in your position. I know James, and he's not a good guy. But, Edward chased him off, and it's highly unlikely he'll bother you again. He's all bark and no bite, and Edward terrifies him." She reassured me with a half-hearted smile.

I thought about the look that had been in James' eyes. It was the same look I'd seen in... his eyes near the end. I shuddered think about my past relationship and how downhill things had gone so quickly.

"It'll be okay, Bella. Don't stress about it." Alice gave my arm a reassuring squeeze, believing I was still thinking about James. I nodded and smiled at her. "Now, what do you say we do some shopping?"

* * *

"Alice, I really don't have the money for this."

She had dragged me into the high end district of the city, filled with designer stores that sold items I could never dream of being in my price range.

"For the fifth time, Bella, it's on me. I saw your wardrobe, remember? You are in desperate need of a makeover. You're not in Washington, anymore." Her words made me feel as though I was Dorothy wandering through OZ.

As we stepped inside Saks, I finally mustered up the courage to ask, "Alice, what is it exactly that your family does?"

"Oh, my father's a business tycoon. He owns almost every hotel in the city, as well as a few technology firms. The Cullen's have their hands in several pots." She explained, waving a hand as if it were nothing.

"Oh.." I nodded as if I understood, but it was still a little surprising. Be raised in a small town, wealth wasn't something that you came by often. And if you did, it wasn't the same sort of wealth that Alice seemed to have been born into, so this was all a foreign concept to me.

"Well, still. I can't let you buy me anything. I could never repay you." I continued.

"Bella.. this is what friends do. You don't have to repay me." Alice insisted for the third time today. "Just.. go with it. I'm not going to have any fun if I have to try on all these clothes by myself." She pointed out

"Okay, okay." I conceded. I would try on, but I wouldn't have her buy a single thing.

It was a well thought out plan in theory, but in execution, it hadn't gone nearly as well. Anything that Alice had liked on me, she had the store attendants take away and ring up. We spent the day in and out of stores like Michael Kors, Kate Spade, Yves Saint Laurant, Louboutin, Hermes, and so and so forth. It seemed as if there was no end in sight.

By the time we returned to the apartment, Alice's chauffeur having to help us get all the bags inside, she'd put nearly a forty-thousand dollar dent in her credit card. I was absolutely mortified and was silently planning how I could return the majority of these items without her noticing. Perhaps I could find knock off's at cheaper prices and swap them out. But with the amount that we bought, it would definitely put a dent in the money my parents gave me to get through the semester.

"So, I was thinking for dinner tonight.. you should absolutely wear that Black Halo dress with the Louboutin Lace Follies. You'll look absolutely darling!" She said, smiling over at me as she got a bottle of water out of the fridge.

"Dinner?" The dress in question was a modest, brett ruched sheath dress that I actually didn't mind. But what dinner was she talking about. I had been planning on ordering take out and staying in tonight.

"Oh.. shoot. Did I forget to tell you? I can be a little forgetful. My parents want to meet you! They invited us to join them for dinner at Adour tonight." She grinned.

"That's very nice of them." I forced a smile onto my face. I couldn't exactly say no, but the idea meeting Alice's parents was daunting if they as affluent as she claimed them to be. Not to mention I didn't want to walk in there in a thousand dollar outfit and have them think that I was using their daughter for her money, because I most certainly wasn't. I wanted to return all the items she had bought.

"Are you sure I can't just wear something I own though?" She mused, trying her hardest not hot hurt Alice's feelings.

"Bella.. Ardour is a five star restaurant in the St. Regis. Nothing in your closet would suffice for their dress code." Her words were gentle, but firm, leaving no room for discussion.

* * *

"You're even more lovely than Alice described you."

Esme Cullen pulled me into a hug with her gracious words. It was warm, and loving like a mothers should be, and it made me miss my own mother.

"Thank you so much, that's very sweet of you to say. And thank you so much for inviting me to dinner. I really appreciate it." I told her. Meeting Alice's mother went much better than I had expected, and all of my anxiety had dissipated as I took a seat with her and Alice at the table.

"You'll have to excuse my husband's disappearance. He had to step out for a business call." She apologized.

"Oh, that's quite alright." I assured her with a small smile.

"Apologizing on my behalf once again, dearest?" A blonde man appeared at the table, sweeping a kiss across Esme's cheek before turning his attention on me.

"You must be Isabella. It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Carlisle." He reached out and we shook hands, exchanging smiles.

"It's just Bella." I said, and he nodded.

"Well, Bella, I'm very glad you could join us tonight. Alice hasn't stopped talking about you since she got your name off the housing registrar." He grinned, causing Alice to blush.

"Dad.." She whined, and I couldn't help but laugh lightly at the teasing. Aside from the off-putting son, they really seemed like a lovely family.

The fifth chair at the table, which she had assumed would be vacant, was suddenly pulled out and someone dropped into it. I glanced up to meet the mess of bronze hair and hazel-green eyes that had the pleasure of meeting last night. He was smirking.

"Glad to see you're alive."


	4. Chapter 4

_**AN: Hi guys! Sorry for the delay. I've been down for the count with a nasty flu for a couple of days. I'll try and get another Chapter up either tonight or tomorrow. Hope you enjoy this update!**_

"Why are you glad that she's alive?"

Alice shot Edward a discrete glare while Carlisle looked towards his son expectantly for an answer.

"Have you ever been on a shopping trip with your daughter? I'm surprised any of us ever survived it. I guess it's good she's got a new victim instead of forcing us to play dress up with her." Edward replied easily, the lie falling off his tongue like water.

I was surprised that he'd lied so effortlessly about his remark, but then I remembered back to last night. When Edward had been questioning Alice on why were were there, he had mentioned that she in particular, was not supposed to be there that evening. I wondered if he was covering for her.

"This is very true." Carlisle chuckled. "Our little Mary Alice does have quite the amount of enthusiasm when it comes to shopping." It was a comment to which Alice simply rolled her eyes. "Edward, have you met Bella yet?"

"Yes. Last night, at Alice's apartment when I stopped to drop something off." He said, flicking his gaze over to me, and then away just as quickly.

"So, you girls have orientation this week, correct? What does Columbia have planned?" Esme asked, quick to change the subject.

"Well, tomorrow we have the Welcome Seminar, campus tour, program specific meetings, and we take our school I.D. photos. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday we'll audit classes at our current academic level and determine which one's we'd like to take. And then Friday they're throwing some sort of mixer for Freshman. It's like they think we're twelve or something." Alice rolled her eyes once more, clearly not pleased with the idea.

"And, what is it that you'll be studying, Bella?" Carlisle asked me as he took a sip from is scotch.

"Oh, uh.. Political Science, with a concentration in Human Rights and Humanitarian Policies. I'd like to get my law degree once I've finished the undergraduate program and eventually become a prosecutor specializing in Human Trafficking cases." I explained, nervously ticking a couple of strands of hair behind my ear.

"That's a very ambitious goal. I certainly wish you the best of luck in achieving it." He offered me a warm smile, seemingly pleased with my answer.

The rest of the evening was filled with small talk about my little town in Washington, business ventures of Carlisle's, and embarrassing childhood stories about Alice and Edward.

When it finally came time to leave, Carlisle and Esme parted first, leaving us with words of wisdom for our first week at College.

"I'm just going to run to the restroom, and then we can go." As the words left Alice's mouth, I had a flashback to last night, those piercing blue eyes dancing across my vision and sending a shiver down my spine.

When I finally refocused, it was just Edward and I sitting at the table then, and he seemed engrossed in whatever was happening on is phone.

I left a few seconds of awkward silence pass before I finally sat up a little straighter and turned my body so that it was slightly facing him. "So.. uh.." I chewed my lip nervously. "Thank you. For last night. For saving me from that guy, and uh, getting me home safe."

"Don't thank me." His eyes snapped to mine, and they were slightly narrowed. "Just don't be fucking stupid. You're just lucky I happened to get a phone call that I had to step outside to take."

Oof. His words sunk into me like a knife.

"I- I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be an inconvenience. I just.. it won't happen again. I promise."

"Good." His gaze returned to his phone, a clear signal that he was done with the conversation. So I'm not sure why I pushed on.

"That guy.. you knew him?" I pressed. The entire interaction between Edward and James had seemed.. odd, to say the least. And what had Edward meant about James' boss, and the deal being off.

"Curiosity killed the cat, you know." He mused, without looking up from his phone.

"But satisfaction brought it back." I pointed out, a small smirk forming on my lips. Once again I'd managed to catch him off guard, and I watched as he blinked slowly before lifting his gaze to meet mine once more.

"I thought we just agreed that-" He was cut off before he was able to finish.

"Agreed that what?" Alice appeared behind him, smiling as if she'd just caught us in some secret rendezvous.

"We agreed that shopping with you is like a workout. If we do that once every couple of months, I'll never have to go to the gym." I joked, she she smacked her brother on the shoulder softly.

"Oh, whatever. Let's get out of here, yeah?" She said, grabbing her purse from where she had left it on the table. "Night, Eddie." She said, leaning down and placing a kiss on his forehead. He simply grunted in response.

As Alice and I left the St. Regis, I swear I could feel him watching me, but I didn't dare turn around to look.

* * *

I didn't see Alice much over the course of the week. We had different meetings and audited different classes since she was majoring in Business. We were both exhausted every evening and had settled into an unhealthy routine of ordering takeout rather than going to the store and buying groceries so that we could cook ourselves. When Friday finally rolled around, I was relieved to have the day to myself to do absolutely nothing.

It was three in the afternoon, and Alice had been gone the majority of the day. I had stayed in my grey sweatpants and over-sized police sweatshirt that I had swiped from my dad the entire. I hadn't even bothered to put my contacts in, instead settling for the thick rimmed glasses that I had thought were so cool when I was in middle school.

My morning was spent catching up on The Vampire Diaries, and now I was sitting at the table, snacking on a pickle, getting ready to submit the list of classes I would be taking this semester.

I hit the enter button knowing that there was no going back now. Just as I had done so, the front door flew open and Alice sauntered in with a grin on her face. Uh-oh. I knew that look, and there was no way that it was going to end well for me.

* * *

"Alice, I really don't know about this. How did you even hear about this party?" I asked, glancing over at her nervously.

We were standing across the street from Delta Delta Beta fraternity house where a constant stream of people were entering one after another. Trap music was pouring out of the open windows and you could hear the occasional cheer from the internal crowed.

I had been shoved into a designer jean skirt and a black Jonathan Simkhai body suit. The material was lace and it had a deep v in the front, but still maintained some modesty. Still, it wasn't something that I'd pick for myself.

"This is the frat that Emmett and Edward were in when they went here." She replied. "It'll be totally fine. It's just a party, Bella. And I promise that I won't make you drink as much as we did last weekend. In fact, you don't have to drink at all. Just mingle and enjoy yourself. The boys are going to be stopping by at some point tonight. Maybe you'll get a little more face to face time with my brother." She said, waggling her eyebrows.

I rolled my eyes. After our last encounter at the restaurant, I was positive that she was wrong. Edward thought that I was some stupid, naive college girl and nothing more. Which, honestly is what I had been acting like, so I couldn't be too upset. But no, there was nothing but hatred there. I could feel it rolling off him when he was near me.

"I should have figured she was going to be here." Alice said, narrowing her eyes across the room when we entered the house. Rosalie was perched on a counter top wearing a white dress that was much too revealing for my taste, giggling at something that one of the many boys surrounding her had just said.

"Why? Does she hang around you guys a lot?" I asked.

"She's actually Jasper's twin sister. They're both seniors here." Alice explained, frowning. "And she really has a thing for Edward, even though she knows Emmett's been pining after her for years. But wherever Edward goes, she's quick to follow."

"Oh.. Well, that's certainly no fun." As the words escaped my lips, Rosalie's eyes caught mine and I'm sure a guilty expression crossed my face from being caught staring. I watched as her eyes narrowed and she hopped down off the counter, headed towards us.

"Alice." She greeted. "Becca, right?" She flipped her blonde hair over her shoulder as she turned her attention to me.

"You know that it's Bella." I replied in a cool tone. Was it smart to get haughty with this girl considering who she surrounded herself with? Probably not. But I wasn't going to let her walk all over me just because she felt like it.

"Mmm." She went to move past us, but made it a point to check me with her shoulder as she went.

"Watch your back, Bella. I'm not someone you want to mess with."

"Ignore her." Alice said once Rosalie was gone. "She's all bark and no bite. The girl is clinically psychotic, but she'd never actually do anything to you because she knows that if she tried it, I'd tell Edward. And she'll do anything to be in his good graces. It's sad, really."

"I don't understand what I've done to her." I crossed my arms, huffing slightly.

"You haven't done anything. I swear Rose thrives off of being a bitch for no reason." Alice assured me. "Now, c'mon. Let's have some fun." She said, pulling my arms away from my chest and guiding me with her towards the kitchen.

A beer was placed in my hand and I glanced at it wearily, unsure if I wanted to feel like I had felt last weekend. But then, I knew beer wasn't nearly as hard as what we had had. One or two couldn't hurt.

_Just don't be fucking stupid. _

Edwards words echoed through my mind and I looked down at the cup as Alice lead me into the living room where people were split between standing against the walls talking or dancing.

Oh, what did I care what that asshole thought? Taking a sip, a small smile formed on my lips and I let myself get lost in the music with Alice.


	5. Chapter 5

**_AN: Hey guys. Sorry this update took so long. I had a really rough week between being sick and some personal stuff that I had going on, so it took me a while to get to. I included a little bit of fluff, so hopefully that makes up for it. As always, I hope you guys enjoy. _**

Mistakes were most definitely made. As Alice and I once again danced the night away, sharing drink after drink and even a couple of shots, my senses escaping me once again. Jasper and Emmett had shown up halfway through the night and joined in our fun, but at some point, everyone had seemingly disappeared.

The song that rumbled through the living room had just ended, and as I opened my eyes, I found myself alone, surrounded by strangers. Not good. I needed to find Alice, or her brother at least. Someone familiar. Everything was out of focus as I stumbled out of the crowded room, suddenly desperate to get a breath of air. The hallway and kitchen were just as crowded, and I felt like I was suffocating. I needed to get out of here, fast.

A cool breeze tickled my legs, making the hair on my arms stand on end, and I looked to my left to see a doorway leading from the kitchen out to the back porch. I was happy to find that it was completely empty. Things were starting to spin and my stomach felt like it was churning. I was almost positive that I was going to throw up. I plopped down on the steps and dropped my head into my hands, taking a deep breath as I tried to stop the world from spinning.

"Are you okay?" I tilted my head slightly and found a pair of concerned blue eyes watching me. I tried to smile, but it was probably more of a grimace.

"Uh-uh." I responded, turning my head back into my hands.

"Uh, okay. Okay, wait right here." His voice was kind, laced with genuine worry as he disappeared. I couldn't be sure how long he was gone, but when he reappeared, he had a bundle of items in his arms. Setting all the stuff down, he started by unfolding a large blanket and draping it around my shoulders. I happily welcomed the warmth.

"It's cold out." He murmured, reaching for something else. He placed a cold bottle of ginger ale in my hands. "Most people think that water is best when you're drunk, but I prefer ginger ale. It'll settle your stomach." He explained.

"Thank you." I opened the bottle and took a small sip.

"What's your name?" He asked after a few moments of silence had passed between us.

"Bella." I replied, glancing over at him. "It's nice to meet you..."

"Mike." He offered up a goofy smile and I found myself giggling. It was probably the alcohol making me giddy, but he seemed cute, and caring.

"It's nice to meet you, Mike. And thanks for this." I said, holding up the ginger ale.

"It's nice to meet you too. So.. who are you here with?" He asked.

"Alice.. Cullen." It took me a moment to get her name out, as I had to stop to burp and pray that I wasn't going to throw up.

"Oh, Emmett and Edward's little sister! Okay." He grinned, obviously familiar with the family. "Well, that's cool. They're good people, for sure. Although, I can't say I've seen you around before. Are you.. I mean, have you known them long?" Mike was trying to make small talk, and I appreciated the attempt to distract me from feeling sick. Beer drunk was different than liquor drunk, I decided. Though I did mix liquor with my beer. But still, the other night had been straight liquor and I had felt giggly and free. Now, having ingested mainly beer, I felt mostly disoriented and sick to my stomach.

"Ah.. not long. Alice and I just became roommates. I'm a freshman here. I'm actually from Washington." I explained.

"Oh, Washington, huh? That's pretty cool. Have you met the president?" I couldn't help but laugh at his question.

"No, no. Like, Washington state." I explained.

"Oh! Whoops." A blush crept across his cheeks and I kind of liked it.

"Don't be embarrassed. It's what a lot of people assume." I tried to reassure him.

"So, what are you st-" Mike was cut off by a familiar voice.

"I thought we agreed that you weren't going to be fucking stupid." Someone grabbed my arm and yanked me up. Edward spun me around so that I was face to face with him, his green eyes blazing.

"Hey, dude! There's no reason to be rough with her like that." Mike had jumped to his feet, ready to defend me. If I hadn't been so shocked, I would've found it endearing that even though Mike was a whole head shorter than Edward, he was willing to fight him.

"I.. I just.. Alice.. and you know.." I was having trouble forming a coherent sentence, which I'm sure wasn't helping my case.

"Let's go." He said, dragging me towards the kitchen.

"Edward, man! That's not cool. She was fine." Mike called out. Edward turned back and shot him a sharp glare.

"Stay out of it, Newton." He snapped, before dragging me back into the house. I managed to shoot Mike an apologetic look before the door shut behind us.

As he guided me through the throngs of people, I began to get angry. But the time we had reached the front porch and stepped onto the lawn, I was furious. I yanked my arm out of his grasp and shoved him slightly, causing him to finally stop and look at me like I'd grown a second head.

"What the fuck?" I snapped, narrowing my eyes. I was definitely still intoxicated, because I was not normally one for confrontation. "I was perfectly fine back there! There was no reason for you to.." I paused to burp, embarrassingly enough. "...for you to yank me around like some kind of rag doll and make me leave like I'm some kind of.." I hiccuped. "Child!"

The expression was a mix of bemusement and annoyance. "Are you done?"

"No." I huffed, crossing my arms. "I'm going back inside, and you're going away." Turning, I went to walk back towards the door, but I began to feel my stomach churn again. Oh no.

Suddenly I was emptying the contents of it into some bushes. I felt my hair being pulled away from my face as I did so.

When I was finally done, my entire body was shaking, and I felt a headache coming on. This sucked. I know I said last time that I wouldn't be drinking ever again, but this time I meant it.

"Still think you don't need to go home?" Edward was waiting patiently for me, his look of annoyance now replaced by a cocky smirk. I merely grunted in response.

"C'mon." He said, a little more gently as he wrapped an arm around my shoulders and led me towards a waiting Uber.

* * *

The ride home was filled with silence, and despite my protests when we arrived, he insisted on walking me upstairs to make sure that I made it in safely. Neither of us said a word to each other in the elevator, or the once inside the apartment. I was vaguely annoyed, had a raging headache, and desperately needed to brush my teeth, and so I left him in the hall and went to my room, shutting the door not so quietly behind me.

An hour later I emerged after cleaning my teeth and taking a spur of the moment shower since I had felt disgusting. I had put on fresh pajamas and my hair was still damp. I'd swapped out my contacts for my glasses, and I was in need of asprin and water. But I stopped short when I saw the Edward was sitting at our breakfast bar, typing away on his phone.

I spotted the bottle of asprin and a bottle of water sitting at the edge of the counter, and I took a few cautious steps forward, grabbing it. I shook two pills into the palm of my hand and tossed them into my mouth, swallowing them with a large gulp of cold water.

When I set the bottle back down on the counter, I finally noticed that Edward was watching me.

"I'd say that I'm sorry... but I know you'd just tell me not to be fucking stupid." I said after a few more moment of silence had passed between us. I swear I saw his mouth quirk as if he were going to laugh, but he didn't.

"New York is a dangerous city, Bella." He said. Crossing his arms, he leaned back and eyed me warily. "You come from a small town, I suspect." Well, he hit the nail on the head there. "The settings are much more different here. There won't always be someone to watch out for you and make sure that you're safe. You have to be smart to survive in a place like this."

What he said made sense and I could feel the anger in me deflating. He was right. I'd been rather stupid in my time here, and I needed to be taking better care to make sure I didn't end up in harms way. My dad had had the same discussion with me before I'd left, but I guess it hadn't sunk in like it seemed to be now.

"I understand. I apologize for being a nuisance. It won't happen again." My words were sincere. This time, he really did chuckle.

"You're hardly a nuisance. My sister, she's a nuisance. But you're just a nice girl who needs to learn a little more about life." He said. It was condescending of him, but he didn't seem to care.

"Okay.. Well.. Goodnight, then." I wasn't in the mood to argue with him, and I knew whatever came out of my mouth in response would have sparking something, so instead I turned to head to bed. "You're welcome to stay here tonight, since it's so late." I added. It was the hospital thing to do, though I didn't expect he would.

"Sleep well, Bella." The words were so quiet, I couldn't even be sure I heard them, so I didn't respond as I headed back to my room, ready to fall into a deep sleep.

* * *

It was more restless than peaceful. For the first time in months, I had a nightmare about him. For months after the very worst had transpired, I had frequent nightmares involving him, and it took many therapy sessions, but the nightmares eventually became less and less, until I stopped having them all together. So why was I having one now?

I could see the glint of his gun as he went to reach for it, and I cried out, willing anyone to hear me, to help me.

"Bella? Bella, wake up.."

My eyes flashed over when I felt someones hand caress my cheek. My heart was racing and I sat straight up, taking in my surroundings. It took me several moments to realize that was in my bedroom in New York and not some place else. I took a couple of deep breaths before realizing that I wasn't alone. Edward was sitting on the edge of my bed watching me curiously.

"Wha.. What are you doing here." I asked, raking a shaky hand through my hair.

"You told me I could spend the night since it was late..." He gently reminded me. "I was asleep on the couch when I heard you screaming."

It was a good thing that my room was dark, because my embarrassment caused a crimson blush to cover my cheeks.

"I'm sorry that I woke you." I told him, curling my knees into my chest and wrapping my arms around them.

"Do you get nightmares often?" He asked, ignoring my apology.

"I used to." I admitted.

"Hmm.." He stood up, leaving the room without really saying anything. I was a little surprised, but before I could process what had happened, he had returned with a glass in his hand.

"My mom used to bring me warm milk when I'd wake up with nightmares." He explained, handing it to me. "But she'd tell me that it was magical monster protection juice, and if I drank it, then nothing could hurt me while I was sleeping." I could see him smiling fondly at the memory, and I shared in his smile before taking a small sip. I'll admit, it did calm me down a little bit.

"I appreciate this." I told him, moving slightly so that he could sit back down on the bed with me.

"It's no problem." He said. We sat in silence as I finished the milk. My eyes wandered over to the clock. It was three in the morning.

"Did Alice come home?" I asked, remembering how she'd disappeared at the party.

"She's at Jasper's. She called right after you went to bed, to make sure you got home safe. She saw us leave together." He told me.

"Oh. Well, good. I'm glad she's safe." I replied. An awkward silence settled over us, and I really wasn't sure what to do. I could never tell what my interactions with Edward were going to be like. He ran hot and cold. He was either exceptionally sweet, or the biggest asshole I'd ever met, and I couldn't tell if my presence bothered him, or if he was okay with it.

"You don't have to stay here, you know. I'm okay, really." I assured him.

He looked at me with knowing smile that said that he knew I was lying.

"I'll stay until you fall back asleep." He said softly. He reached over and took the now empty glass from me, setting it on my bedside table. "Lay down." He instructed. I did as he said and he pulled the blankets tightly around me, tucking me in. He sat near the bottom of my bed and got his phone out.

"You can turn on the T.V. if you want. It won't bother me." I said. "The remote is right next to you."

"Oh.. uh. Thanks.." He said, reaching for it.

Tonight was full of surprises, the current one being how comforted by his presence I seemed to be. I was fast asleep before he'd even picked something on Netflix to watch.


	6. Chapter 6

_**AN: Hey guys. Sorry that it's been a week since an update. Still sick with the flu, and it is kicking my butt. Hope you guys like this chapter! Hopefully I'll have another one to you soon. **_

Edward was gone when I woke up, making me wonder if it had all just been some drunken delusion. Sitting up in my bed, a ran a hand through my messy curls and looked around, spotting my phone on the nightstand. Grabbing it, I saw that I had two messages. The first was from Alice, asking if I was alright. I sent her a message back confirming that I was, though I knew her brother had already informed her last night. The second was from an unknown number.

_Unknown: Hey, Bella! This is Mike. We met last night at the party, not sure if you remember. I got your number from Alice. I just wanted to make sure you made it home safe! :)_

Well, that was certainly sweet. I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face. I texted him back letting him know that I did make it home safe, and apologizing for my abrupt departure and Edward's behavior. With that all said and done, I suddenly realized that I was starving. Pushing back the blankets, I headed into the kitchen and rummaged around until I found all the stuff needed for waffles.

I opened up Spotify and put on one of my carefully cultivated playlists before getting started.

Dancing around the kitchen, I felt surprisingly light-hearted as I made breakfast.

"That smells good." The plate that I had just grabbed from the cupboard fell from my hands, shattering at my feet.

"Geeze!" I exclaimed, looking from the shattered plate to Edward.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." He said, smiling sheepishly.

"No.. no. It's fine." I said, kneeling down and collecting the broken pieces carefully in my hand. "I just didn't realize that you were still here." Suddenly he was in front of me, helping me collect the rest of the broken pieces.

"Yeah, I was on the couch. Once I knew you were asleep, I went back to the living room." He didn't say it out loud, but his tone suggested that he hadn't wanted to leave me alone after my little episode last night.

"Oh, yeah. I guess I should have expected that." We both stood up straight and I took the pieces from him, taking them over to the trash. "Well.. sit down. I'll get you a plate." For once, he did as instructed and took his place back at the breakfast bar while I grabbed two more plates and put some waffles on each one.

"Why's Newton asking if you want to grab dinner tonight?" When I turned to hand him his plate, I saw that my phone screen was lit up and he was looking at it quizzically.

"Uh.. I'm not sure." I admitted, setting the plate down in front of him and snatched my phone off the counter, opening the message. Mike was in fact asking me to dinner. He wanted to get to know me better, and be a friendly face that I could rely on when I was on campus. It seemed innocent enough. When I finally looked up from my phone, Edward was watching me with his eyes narrowed.

"He just wants to meet for a friendly dinner..." My voice sounded nervous, even to me, though I wasn't sure why I needed to explain myself to him.

"Well don't go. I know Newton, and he's just another stereotypical frat guy looking for a hump and dump." He said.

"I mean.. he didn't seem like it. He was actually being really sweet last night before you came along and dragged me off." I huffed indignantly and crossed my arms, leaning back against the counter. "I don't see what the big deal is. It's just dinner. And he knows that Alice and I are friends. I doubt he'd be stupid enough to try anything."

"You're the one being stupid." He muttered under his breath, and I narrowed my eyes at him.

"What is your problem with me?" I demanded. "All you do is call me stupid and treat me like I'm a major inconvenience in your life. If I'm really that much of an inconvenience, then why don't you just stop butting into my life?"

Several emotions flashed through his eyes, anger being the dominant one, but there was something else there too that I couldn't put my finger on.

Finally, after several moments of tense silence, he pushed his chair back and grabbed his jacket, heading for the door.

"Don't say I didn't warn you." Were his parting words, along with a slamming of the door.

* * *

"I'm not going."

I had just gotten out of my psychology 101 class when Alice caught me walking across campus. She'd ambushed me, begging me to go to some club with her tonight. It had been three weeks since Edward and I's little spat, and he hadn't come around since then. Not that I was complaining. I'd been on several dates with Mike, and things were actually going well. He was a nice guy, and treated me so sweetly. Which means that Edward had been completely wrong.

"Bella, please? I don't want to go alone." She whined, sticking out her bottom lip in a pout. "You and Edward just need to make-up already." She added grumpily.

Edward had been charged with opened a new club under the families enterprise, and the grand opening was tonight. The entire family was going to be there, and Alice had been asking all week that join her.

"You'll hardly be alone. Your entire family will be there. Plus Jasper." I pointed out.

"Yeah, but my family will all be busy helping Edward. And Jasper can't come. He had a family thing come up. Please Bella? Please? You probably won't even see Edward the entire night. And, you can totally bring Mike!" She added the last incentive as if it would change my mind. And I guess it sort of did.

"Okay, fine." I sighed after several second of silence, and Alice squealed in response.

* * *

There were people lined up spanning down several blocks to get into Exodus, and I wondered why the even bothered. I could never understand why someone would want to wait in line for hours knowing that there's a chance that they wont actually get into the club. It would be a total waste of time. But I didn't dwell on it as Alice and I were escorted from the car to the inside of the luxurious club.

Mike's name was on the list, and he was supposed to be meeting us here. The place was packed and I looked around to see if I could spot him, but found myself out of luck. I had allowed even allowed Alice to dress me to make a better impression that I had on our other dates.

Standing there in Slate & Willow Carlene mini dress that was covered and black and gold sequins and a pair of sky high Louboutin's, I felt a little out of place. I may not have looked it, but I felt it. I didn't belong in such a fancy place. Being with Alice was like being in Wonderland, and I had to remember to try and keep myself grounded to reality.

"Let's get a drink." I assumed she was going to drag us to the main bar to the side, but instead she lead me up a spiral staircase to a private bar where the rest of her family resided. It was balcony up above the dance floor where one could stand watch everyone, so maybe I'd be able to spot Mike.

Emmett handed Alice and I a shot, and I vowed it would be my only one of the night. I was not getting drunk. We took it, and I was surprised at how sweet it seemed to be. The bartender then handed me a vodka cranberry, and I wandered away from everyone towards the balcony railing while the chatted.

I felt like Gatsby standing alone watching everyone else lose themselves in the music and alcohol. I wondered if this was how Edward sometimes felt watching over everyone. And then I shook my head. There was no need for me to be wondering what he was thinking. Glancing back, I realized that Edward wasn't there, but I tried to clear him from my head and went back to looking for Mike.

I was just about to give up when a flash of blonde hair caught my eye.

Mike was in the the corner with Jessica, a girl Alice had introduced me to at the party a couple weeks ago. He had his tongue down her throat.

Admittedly, we hadn't defined what exactly our relationship was, but Mike and I had gone on at least 8 dates, and that didn't include getting coffee between classes or meeting up to study during our days on campus. In the past three weeks, I had begun to become comfortable with him and our routine. Not to mention we'd made out a bunch of times. He was the first guy I'd genuinely started to develop feelings for since everything that had happened with my last boyfriend back home, and it felt good. And now I felt like my heart was being stomped on.

"I hate to say I told you so..." The cocky tone of his voice made me want to whirl around and punch him, but I was too close to tears. I didn't even want to look at him right now.

Turning around quickly, I hurried past him, our shoulders accidentally brushing.

"Bella, wait." He reached out and grabbed my forearm to stop me, and I froze, my eyes going wide. _His _face flashed through my mind and suddenly I was petrified. Edward must've seen that, because he quickly let me go. Tears started pooling around the rims of my eyes, and it wasn't long before they spilled over onto my cheeks. This was all too much for me right now. I needed to get out of here.

I'd made it down the stairs, and almost out the door when I heard Mike calling out to me.

"Hey! Bella." I shouldn't have stopped, but I turned, tears streaming down my face so that he could see what he had done to me. "What's wrong?" He asked, his face falling. Man, was he good at pretending like he'd done nothing wrong.

"Really? What's wrong? I just saw you with Jessica." I snapped, wiping the tears angrily off my cheeks. It was pointless, though, because they just kept falling.

"Bella, no. That was.. I mean, seriously it was just... Like, you don't understand.." He was stumbling over his words, trying to form and excuse for his actions, but nothing was seeming to come out.

"You need to leave, Mike." Edward appeared next to me and rested a protective hand on my shoulder. As mad as I was at him, it did make me feel a little better.

"This is between me and Bella. Get out of here, Cullen." Mike had narrowed his eyes at the bronze haired man, his entire body tensing.

Apparently, Edward had no tolerance for Mike's words, because in a flash, Mike was on the ground with a bloody nose while Edward stood in front of me, glaring down at him.


	7. Chapter 7

_**AN: Sorry this chapter is a little short. I'm going to try and get another one to you guys soon. It's just a cute little fluff chapter. Hope you enjoy!**_

I didn't stick around to see what happened next. In the heat of the moment, it was all too much for me. I was having flashbacks of the darkest part of my life, and I just couldn't handle it. Maybe everything was still to fresh in my mind. Maybe months of therapy hadn't prepared me to move across the country to a large city to find a life of my own. New York was supposed to be my escape, but what if it wasn't?

Alice was yelling my name, but I moved too quickly for her to catch up to me. Outside, the cold air washed over me and I took a deep breath. People in line watched me curiously as I looked up and down the sidewalk, trying to decide what my next move would be.

A flash of yellow caught my eye, and I waved down the cab as it rushed towards me. I got in and gave the driver my address, and once he was speeding off down the busy streets, I felt a little more at ease. I'd never been one for drama, so why was it following me everywhere I went? I think that a lot of it came down to the choices that I had been making as of late. When I was with Alice, she made me want to live a little freer, and enjoy the moment. Was that such a bad thing? I was starting to think that it might've been.

The cab came to a stop, pulling me from my thoughts. I handed the driver cash and got out, looking up at the towering student apartment complex that I was supposed to call home for the next four years. It didn't feel very much like home right now...

* * *

_The cool metal barrel of the gun was pressed against my temple. I squeezed my eyes shut, more tears streaming down my face. This was it. This was the end. _

_"Oh my little Bella-Bee. Don't cry." I could feel his thumb brush across my cheek in attempts to wipe the tears away. "You can make this all go away. All you have to do is tell me you'll stay. Tell me that you love me." He cooed. His voice no longer comforted me like it once had. _

_"I.. I.. I..." My entire body was shaking and I wondered if I should just tell him what he wanted to hear. If it meant living, even in captivity, then maybe it would all be worth it. _

_"You know I'm not a patient man, Bella." His voice was rougher now as he pressed the gun harder into my head. _

_"Jake, I.." A loud sound came from upstairs, drawing his attention away from me. He stood up straight and headed for the stairs, determined to investigate whatever was going on. He looked at me one last time before disappearing through the door. _

_And then several gunshots rang out._

* * *

"C'mon, Bella. Wake up.. You're okay. Just wake up.." The feminine voice much different than the one that haunted my dreams was enough to pull me back to reality.

I blinked several times trying to get things in focus and I awoke, and my eyes settled on a frighted looking Alice who was trying her best to offer up a comforting smile. Standing behind her was a solemn looking Jasper, looking down at the ground with his hands in his pockets, probably feeling like he was intruding.

"I'm sorry... I didn't mean to disturb you.." I knew why she'd woken me. And I was sure that they'd come back here to enjoy a peaceful night uninterrupted by screams of terror.

"You're fine. We just got here. I wanted to come check on you before we went back to Jasper's, and I'm glad I did. Are you okay?" Alice asked, sitting down on the edge of my bed.

"Yeah.. I'm, uh, fine." I said, pushing myself up into a sitting position. "Just had a bad dream."

She nodded her head slowly, watching me curiously as if she knew that there was more to the story that what I was letting on.

"Well.. alright. Do you need anything before we go.. I think that Edward was getting you..." Her voice trailed off when Edward appeared in the doorway holding a glass of milk that I was sure he'd warmed up. I couldn't even bring myself to look in his direction.

Alice noticed, because she leaned in and gave me a hug, whispering in my ear. "Talk to him. He feels awful... about _everything_." When she pulled away, she gave me a knowing smile. "Mike doesn't deserve you." She said louder now, not caring who heard that part. With that, she stood and took Jasper's hand, leading him out of the room and leaving Edward and I alone.

There were several moments of tense silence before I heard him move towards the bed. He sat down on the very edge and held the glass out to me without saying anything.

"Thank you.." I said quietly, taking it from him. I took a small sip and then set it off to the side, finally looking up at him. He was facing slightly away from me, so I could only see his profile, but it was clear from his expression that he was struggling with something.

After what seemed like an eternity, he finally spoke.

"I'm sorry for what I said.. both several weeks ago and tonight. That was wrong of me." His words sounded genuine, if not a little strained. I got the impression that he wasn't one to apologize often.

"It's okay." I said softly, reaching out and giving his arm a squeeze so that he knew that I accepted his apology.

"I don't think that you're stupid. I just don't want to see you get hurt." Finally he looked at me, and there was something in his eyes that I couldn't decipher.

"Why? It's not like I'm anyone close to you." I pointed out.

"You're Alice's best friend. Sure, she has girls that's she's know her whole life, but they use her. You don't. You genuinely care about my sister, and her well-being. You genuinely want to be a friend to her." Maybe that was all true, but there was more than he was telling me.

"Edward..." I urged, desperate to know what was going on inside to head; to know why he was always so angry with my actions.

"And.. Jesus, I don't know. Seeing you cry made me feel awful. And when you snapped at me, that didn't feel good either. I don't know how I feel about you.." He admitted. "But it's different then how I feel about everyone else. I can't explain it."

"Then why are you so mean to me?" I asked quietly.

"Because pushing you away is easier.." He said, looking away from me now.

"Easier than what?" I demanded. After all these weeks, I deserved answers.

"My life is complicated, Bella." He explained. "And involving you.. trying to figure out what these feelings are.. It would.."

"Just make it more complicated." I finished for him, nodding my head. "I get it." I didn't explain to him that things were complicated for me too, and that now probably wasn't the right time to be exploring feelings that I wasn't even sure I had.. It wasn't as if I owed him anything, really. I wasn't the one who had been acting awful.

"Yeah.." He hung his head, no longer looking at me.

A silence settled over us, neither of us knowing what to say next. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he broke it.

"What causes your nightmares?" He asked, and I could hear the genuine concern in his voice.

"My past." It took several moments for me to collect my thoughts and form an answer that I was comfortable with.

"Is that the same reason that you froze when I grabbed your arm?" He asked.

"It is." I confirmed, nodding slowly.

"I'm really sorry, Bella." He said softly, rubbing his face with his hands. He looked like a man who knew he'd messed up, but wasn't sure how to fix it.

"It's okay. It's not your fault." I reassured him.

_It's mine._ I didn't say the words out loud. This wasn't something I wanted to discuss with him. Not now anyways, and I wasn't sure that I'd ever feel close enough to him to discuss the darkest part of my life.

"You should get some sleep.." He sighed, moving to stand up, but I reached out and caught his sleeve, and he looked at me, surprised.

"Would you stay until I fall asleep, like last time?" I asked. I couldn't help but remember the peaceful sleep that I'd fallen into after Edward had awoken me from my first nightmare here and stayed with me through the night. His expression softened then and a half smile played on his lips.

"Yeah, I can do that." He said. Making himself comfortable on my bed, he grabbed the remote and clicked my TV on to find something to watch.

I laid down and got comfortable, pulling my comforter tightly around myself. I don't even remember closing my eyes, but I do remember a feeling of safety as I drifted off.

* * *

It was late in the morning when I woke up, and Edward was, unsurprisingly, gone.

As I got out of bed, the memories from the night before flooded my mind and I couldn't help but .feel a little heartbroken over Mike. It was my own fault, though. I hadn't been ready to move on like I thought, and to be fair, Edward had warned me. I had just chosen not to listen.

I decided to give myself a day to wallow. That was normal, right? Even if it wasn't, I deserved it in my mind anyways.

First order of business: junk food. Wandering out to the kitchen, ice cream for breakfast sounded like a fabulous idea. But I stopped short when I saw a large box sitting on the kitchen counter. Peering inside of it, I found that it was filled with an assortment of chips, chocolates, and other sugary snacks. There was a card laying on top as well with my name on it.

Opening it, it was a generic flower picture on the front, and someone had written on the inside.

_Feel better.  
-E._

_P.S. Check the freezer. _

Wow. This was completely unexpected considering our conversation last night.

I did as the card said and went to the freezer, pulling it open. There were five new pints of Ben and Jerry's in assorted flavors, but all containing some sort of chocolate. I felt my heart melt. So he could be sweet when he wanted to. Perhaps it was possible for Edward and I to become friends. It was a thought that I pondered as I gather all my snacks and headed back to my room to binge sappy romantic movies.


	8. Chapter 8

_**AN: Hey guys! I'm really sorry it took so long to get this chapter to you. Honestly, I was struggling with whether or not I wanted to continue writing it. I received some harsh comments regarding spelling and grammar mistakes that I have made in previous chapters. Don't get me wrong, constructive criticism is great tool to help us grow as writers, but there's no reason to be rude about it. I'm currently working around 65 hours a week, and writing is my way of relaxing. I know that I'm not some amazing writer. This story will have mistakes that I don't have time to go and fix because really, I'm just doing this for fun. If you're looking for something that's perfect, this might not be the story for you. But for now, this story will continue because I'm very excited to continue with the plot line. Also, I just wanted to give a special shout out to danielynn79 for encouraging me to keep writing! I appreciate your kindness! **__**Hope you all enjoy!**_

"Are you sure you don't want to come with us?"

It was the third time that Alice had asked within a ten minute period, and I, once again, assured her that I had no desire to be the third wheel on her and Jasper's date night.

"I'm positive. I have a paper due on Thursday that I need to proof read." Sure, my plans weren't nearly as exciting as hers, but it was a Tuesday night after all, and I was supposed to be focusing on m studies. Not that I'd never been a bad student.

"Well.. alright." Alice replied, finally dropping it. "I'll probably just stay at Jasper's tonight, so.. I guess I'll see you tomorrow. We're still doing our weekly dinner, right?"

Though it seemed like we mostly lived on take-out, Alice and I had agreed to do at least one weekly dinner at home, and it was a tradition that I'd come to look forward to immensely.

"Yeah, of course." I sent her off with a smile and wave, watching as the door shut and I was left to my thoughts.

* * *

"Is this really how you're spending you're night?"

I nearly jumped out of my skin when he spoke, and I turned with wild-eyed look to see Edward standing in my doorway. I'd had the t.v. volume up so loud that I hadn't heard the apartment door open.

It was close to seven, and I was mid-way through a true crime documentary, the bowl of popcorn sitting in my lap acting as my dinner. Reaching for the remote, I paused the show and adjusted myself to face him.

"What's wrong with how I'm spending my night?" I huffed, setting the bowl of popcorn off to the side.

"Bella.. you're in New York City and this is the most exciting thing you could find to do?" He said, raising an eyebrow.

"Maybe I just wanted to relax." I countered. "What are you doing here anyways?"

"My sister sent me to check on you. She's worried that you're not taking the whole Mike situation well." He folded his arms across his chest and leaned against the doorway.

"I'm fine, really. He's a jerk, and I wasn't ready to date anyways." Nothing that I said was a lie.

"So why haven't you gone anywhere besides school and here in the past week then?" His eyes narrowed slightly, challenging me.

"Because I'm here to study, and go to school. Not to run around the city partying." I pointed out. Okay, that was a lie. My nightmares about Jake had resurfaced, and I wasn't getting much sleep, which lead to me not really having the energy to do much.

"... Get up." He said. Moving towards my bed, he reached out and grabbed my hands, pulling me up. "Get dressed. We're going out."

"Am I going to win this fight if I tell you I don't want to?" I asked, crossing my arms.

"It's not likely, no." He replied, gently pushing me towards my closet. "I'll be in the living room when you're ready."

With a groan, I opened my closet door as my bedroom door swung shut and began to look for some half decent clothes. It wasn't hard to find lavish things. Ever since Alice had figured out my sizes, new clothes were appearing in my wardrobe every week, whether I'd gone shopping or not.

It look a little digging, but finally I came across something more simple and understated, and much more 'me' than what I'd been wearing as of late. I slipped into the sage green tee-shirt dress and paired it with a brown belt and matching brown ankle boots. The summer head was still lingering and I knew I wouldn't be able to wear dresses like this for much longer.

Once I was dressed, I stepped into the bathroom and brushed on a little mascara and eyeliner, and tamed my hair the best I could. I wasn't trying to look overly extravagant or anything. Edward was nothing more than a friend.

After about twenty minutes, I finally joined him in the living room.

"Ready?" He asked, not looking up from his phone.

"Mhm."

"Great." He took up and finally put his phone in his pocket, glancing at me. He looked like he wanted to say something, but decided against it and headed for the door. It made me a little self conscious. Did I look bad?

"You coming?" He asked, pulling me out of my thoughts. Nodding, I quickly ran after him, curious about where this adventure would lead us.

* * *

Hanging out with Edward felt awkward and tense. The car ride was filled with silence, and it seemed like he wanted to say something but wasn't. Maybe he was still feeling weird over the talk that we'd had the other night. But then, why would he come get me to hang out?

"Are.. are we okay? I mean, since our talk about me being mean to you and.. all of that? Are you still mad at me?" He finally cut through the silence, pulling me from worried mind and causing me to look over at him.

"Are we...?" I was confused at first, but then nodded. "Yeah, we're okay." I assured him, surprised that this rather intimidating man was spending his time worrying whether or not his sisters best friend was mad at him. It seemed trivial, but then, I guess everyone had their insecurities. It's too bad I couldn't be quite sure what his were.

"Okay, good." He smiled, a rare occurrence, and I couldn't help but melt. I turned to look at the window to hide my blush. I had no interest in Edward Cullen.

That's what I kept telling myself, anyways.

The city passed us by and I wondered where on earth he was taking me. One of the family clubs? Dinner? As more and more places passed by, I grew skeptical. And then we arrived and I was awestruck.

With the sun just setting and the lights all turning on, Coney Island looked picturesque.

Looking back at him, I saw that Edward was grinning like a little kid, and I knew we were in for a wild evening.

We had rode nearly every ride there, gorged on cheese fries, burgers, and cotton candy, and were now strolling barefoot along the beach near the water, enjoying the calming sound of the waves crashing against the shore.

"Thank you for tonight. I guess I hadn't realized how desperately I needed a night out." And not the kind of night where you drink and dance and forget your troubles. No, I needed the kind of night where you laughed and enjoyed yourself, and thought you didn't forget all your worries, they suddenly became less awful. Tonight had been perfect.

"No need to thank me. This was just as fun for me. I needed to get away from life for a little while. The family business can be... Stressful." He said, thinking his words over carefully.

"I can only imagine. I don't know what I'd do if I had that kind of pressure on me." I told him, shaking my head.

He was quiet for a few moments, seemingly trying to make a decision in his mind before he finally spoke up again.

"You're struggling with something thought.. That's why you have nightmares, right?" He asked timidly.

I was silent for a few moments, but ultimately nodded my head. "Right."

"It's your ex-boyfriend.. isn't it? Jake?" As the words left his mouth, I could feel my eyes growing wide and a panic rising in my chest.

"Who told you?" I certainly hadn't. And I was sure that Alice hadn't. Jake wasn't a part of my life that I was keen to bring up to anyone other than the people who had been involved, and the therapist that had been helping me work through my emotions.

"Well.. I sort of ran a background check on you?" He admitted, his face showing that he was currently regretting bringing it up.

"That's really invasive, Edward! Why would you do that?" I felt hurt, and angry that someone was privy to the darkest moments in my life without my consent.

"I just wanted to make sure that you weren't some awful person. My sister was getting attached to you, and with my feelings for you.. I just wanted a reason to make them go away. But it turns out you're a great person." He said, chewing nervously on his lip. "And.. I'm actually really glad that you're in Alice's life because she needs someone like you to mellow her out. Not to mention you're a great friend."

He was trying to compliment me and make me forget that I was mad, but it wasn't working.

"At first I just did a criminal check. You know, any convictions or felonies. But then.. I kept thinking about your nightmares and I just.. dug a little deeper because I was curious. And.. I know that it wasn't right, and I'm sorry." He finished off softly, looking away from me.

"You had absolutely no right to dig into my life." I snapped, and I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes. I hated that I cried when I was angry.

"I know.. Bella, I really am sorry." He repeated, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. I didn't say anything as the tears starting making their way down my cheeks.

"You know..." Edward said, after I had spoken for several moments. "None of what happened was your fault.."

Was he really trying to console me right now?

"I don't need you to tell me that." I said harshly, wiping at my cheeks in vain.

"Bella.." I could tell that he wasn't sure what to say.

"I don't want to hear it. You know, I actually thought that we could be friends. But you're just too much for me." I snapped, turning away from him. "I want to go home."

"Okay, I'll take you home." He agreed. As he passed me to walk back to the car, I could see a look of pain on his face. He was truly upset about what he'd done, and it surprised me.


	9. Chapter 9

_**AN: Thank you all so much for all of the support and encouragement that you've provided me with! It really means a lot to me. I had some time today, and it motivated me to get another chapter out! Hope you all enjoy!**_

Maybe I had been too harsh.

Edward had dropped me off three hours ago. It was nearing two o'clock in the morning now, and I couldn't sleep. I was filled with too many conflicting thoughts on the nights events.

Had Edward crossed a line? Absolutely. Maybe I could understand the criminal check considering his families social status. But digging deeper? I wasn't sure that I could so easily forgive that. It was my decision who to share my story with, and he had taken that away from me.

It seemed like he understood that he had messed up though. And I couldn't ignore the nagging voice in my head that was telling me that he dug into my past not because he wanted dirt, but rather because he cared. I'd spent so long denying my past and pretending like it didn't exist, but maybe it was time to embrace it for what it was.

My therapist had told me that embracing it would help me move on. But because I had refused, and continuously placed blame on myself, she'd had to help me find different methods of coping with my feelings.

And still the nightmares had returned. So, was it time to embrace her methods?

He picked up on the second ring, and I sat silent on my end of the call, at war in my head about whether or not this was really something I wanted to do.

"Bella?... Are you okay?" He asked after a few minutes had passed.

"I'm not saying that I forgive you." I finally told him. "But those reports don't tell you everything. It's my story, and I want to tell it the way it really happened, and not just how some officers painted it to be."

"I'll be there in twenty minutes." He offered.

"Fine." The line went dead before he had a chance to respond to me.

* * *

"I met Jake shortly after I'd turned seventeen."

Edward was sitting in my desk chair watching me carefully while I was curled up in the corner of my bed, the blankets drawn tightly around my body.

"I'd always been very focused on my studies, and being the daughter of the chief of police in a small town, there was never much opportunity to have any sort of crazy fun. I'm pretty sure people even referred to me as stuck up, thought I tried my hardest not to fit into that stereotype." A small, bitter laugh escaped my lips. "And when I met Jake, I wanted absolutely nothing to do with him."

"He was loud, and rambunctious. He drove a motor cycle, and was always followed by a pack of guys from the reservation like he was some sort of god. The idea of it all just didn't appear to me what-so-ever, no matter how handsome he was." I explained, shaking my head slightly.

"But there was another side to him. It wasn't one that he liked people to see, really. There was a boy underneath that tough exterior that was hurting. He'd lost his mom, and his dad is an alcoholic. Things hasn't been easy for him, and he tried to hide that pain under the facade that he didn't have a care in the world. But I got to see that other side by accident one night, and I felt like I really understood what he was going through. So I gave him a chance. And I fell in love with that boy who was hiding underneath." I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes as I recounted the good memories that I had with Jake. "He showed me that it was okay to branch out and have fun, and that I didn't need to spend my life hiding out of the fear of failing the expectations that others had put in place for me."

"Things were great for a couple of months. And then.. he started acting different. I knew that things at home weren't great. He'd show up with cuts and bruises that he didn't want to talk about, but I was positive that they were from his dad. One night he showed up at my house at like two o'clock in the morning and he was crying. He never told me what happened, but I stayed up with him the entire night until he felt okay. And after that night things really shifted. It was the first red flag that I'd chosen to ignore." My heart was pounding in my chest and I dove deeper into the story.

"We started arguing a lot. It was always about little stuff that didn't matter. Sometimes I'd get so frustrated that I was ready to give it all up and walk away, but he was hurting and I knew I couldn't just walk out on him like everyone else had. Every day he changed more. He became more aggressive, more easily agitated, and more possessive. And it wasn't just him being jealous if I'd talk to another guy or something of the sort. He didn't want me interacting with my friends anymore, he didn't trust my family. He was convinced that everyone was against us, and that we'd be better off without him. That's when I began to think that something was really wrong." Edward had moved the chair closer to my bed, hovering hesitantly, like he wanted to reach out and comfort me, but wasn't sure if it was okay.

"He needed help. I knew that, and I didn't want to just give up on him. I wanted him to get better. But when I brought up things like therapy or counseling, or even trying to move out of his home, he'd get so angry. One day, I pushed it too far and he backhanded me across the face in an attempt to get me to be quiet. That's when I realized that I couldn't ignore the red flags anymore. I needed out of the relationship. But I was too deep in." The tears that had been lingering in my eyes started to fall now.

"Three days after he hit me, I went to his house. He'd called and messaged me over a fifty times, apologizing for his actions and swearing he'd never do it again. He'd sent flowers and chocolates and a stuffed bear as if it would win me over. But it didn't. I told him that I just couldn't do it anymore, and that I'd been letting things slide for far too long, and that I was done." I squeezed my eyes shut, taking a deepA breath as the memory flooded my mind. "All I remember is a sharp pain in my head, and then waking up hours later."

Edward looked like he was in pain hearing the story. I couldn't blame him. The police reports had sugar-coated the reality of it all.

"I was tied to a chair in the basement of his great-grandfathers cabin. It was located deep in the woods on the reservation, so far in that the only people who knew it was there were him and his father." I explained. "I was there for three days. He'd be gone during school hours, now playing the part of the concerned boyfriend who had no idea where his girlfriend had disappeared to. At night he'd torment me. He'd use a knife to cut thin lines across my arms and legs, using it as means to get me to tell him I loved him and I'd stay with him. He wanted us to runaway together, and get away from everyone who was standing in our way." Edward reached out and grabbed my hand, giving it a tight squeezed. I surprised myself by not pulling away. I laced my fingers with his and squeezed back.

"He came home with a gun that third afternoon. I have no idea where he got it from. But I was convinced that this was the end for me. He was going to kill me. He came down to the basement and told me all I'd have to to was admit that I loved him. And I was going to. I was desperate at that point. A noise upstairs distracted him, and he went to see what it was. And then I heard gunshots." Whatever was holding Edward back seemed to not bother him any longer. He got out of the chair and crawled into bed with me, wrapping both arms around me tightly and pulling me into him so that my back was pressed against his chest.

"You don't have to finish." He told me.

"Yes I do." I said, taking a shaky breath.

"Jake shot my dad in the shoulder three times before another office shot Jake's leg and they took him down. My dad's injurious weren't life threatening, but he did have to have surgery to reconstruct a part of his shoulder. And it's doubtful that he'll ever had full use of his arm again."

"Bella, I am so sorry." Edward whispered. "I never should have dug into your past. You're absolutely right, it was your choice about who you wanted to know, and I violated your trust and privacy. It will never happen again." He promised.

"I feel so guilty every single day." I said, ignoring his comments. "That my dad can't keep living his life like he used to, and that I put my parents through so much pain because I ignored every warning sign. I ignored every negative interaction because I wanted to help someone who was hurting. So before you and everyone else continue to tell me that it's not my fault.." I couldn't even finish my sentence as the tears began to flow harder.

"Maybe you did ignore all the signs..." He agreed with me, resting his chin on the top of my head. "But you were only trying to help someone who really needed it. You're such a strong person, and there is no need for you to be carrying around so much guilt."

I wanted to argue with him, but I couldn't stop crying. So instead he held me tight and hummed soothingly until I was utterly exhausted, all out of tears, and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

I wasn't ready to wake up, but the sunlight streaming through my window had settled across my face.

As I blinked my eyes open, the nights events flooded over me, and I couldn't help but feel like a weight had been lifted off of my shoulders. I went to sit up, and realized that there was something draped over my side. I turned my head slightly and my eyes widened.

Edward hadn't left, but instead had fallen asleep with me.

I gently slipped out from under his arm, not wanting to disturb his sleep, and went into my bathroom. Standing in front of the sink, I took a good look at myself in the mirror. I had makeup smudged on my cheeks, my eyes were red-rimmed, and my curly hair was an absolutely mess. To say I looked rough would've been an understatement.

Turning away, I turned the shower on and stripped out of my pajamas, stepping in and letting the hot water wash over me. I didn't get out until the water began to run cold.

I felt much better now that I was clean and my face was free of any trace of the previous nights events. I gathered my damp hair up into a bun on the top of my head an slipped back into my pajamas before opening the bathroom door as quietly as possible.

Edward was still sound asleep, and I didn't blame him. I'd kept him up rather late last night, and he deserved some rest. Especially after all the heaviness that I had unloaded on him. I grabbed one of the sweaters that I had discarded on my floor the other day and pulled it, grabbed my phone, and left him to sleep the morning away in peace.

Snuggled up in the living room, the first thing I did was call my mom and check in with her. I desperately needed to hear her voice and know that her and my dad were doing alright. Once I'd done that, I e-mailed the professor of the only class I had today and let him know that I was sick. He was quick to reply and tell me to get better, and that he would forward the lecture notes to me. And lastly, I e-mailed my therapist and asked if we could either set up virtual visits every other week, or if she could set me up with someone here in New York.

When I had made the decision to move here, I thought that that distance would solve all of my underlying issues. But I was severely wrong.

But now, I was finally ready to move forward with my life.


	10. Chapter 10

_**AN: Hey guys! Sorry this chapter is on the short side. Things have been crazy busy lately, and as an essential worker, I haven't had much free time. I promise that I will have another update to you soon. Thanks to everyone who continues to stick with this story. You are all greatly appreciated! Stay safe guys!**_

"There's coffee in the kitchen."

Edward had entered the living room, bleary eyed. A relieved sigh escaping his lips when he saw me. It was almost as if he'd been worried that I'd disappeared. I guess I couldn't blame him for worrying after last nights events.

"Okay. Thanks." He said, before disappearing behind me.

He returned a few minutes later and plopped himself down in the chair next to the couch. "It's quarter after twelve." He pointed out. "How long have you been up?"

"A couple of hours." I replied as I grabbed the remote and paused the movie that I had been watching.

"You should've woken me." He said softly. I shrugged.

"You looked peaceful. And I kept you up pretty late. I thought you deserved some rest." I explained.

A few moments of silence fell between us, and he looked like he was struggling with something. After what seemed like forever, he finally blurted out, "Are we.. I mean. Are you still mad, or?"

I had to take a second to carefully think over my answer.

"I'm... still upset with you, yes. You betrayed my trust, and that's not something that I'll just magically forget. But I understand why you did it, and where your concerns came from. So, while I'm still upset, and feel the need to be cautious with our friendship, I do forgive you."

"That... seems fair. Very fair." He nodded, taking a sip of coffee. "So.. What's on the agenda today?"

"A trip to the market, cooking, and then dinner here with Alice. It's our Wednesday tradition." I told him. He nodded thoughtfully in response.

"Well, I suppose I'll get out of your way so that you can enjoy your day then." He said, pushing himself up from the couch. He'd almost made it to the kitchen when finally, words came out of the mouth that I hadn't been expecting.

"Do you want to join us for dinner?" I asked. A look of surprise crossed his face, and it looked as if he was debating it. "Jasper usually joins us, so it' not like you'd be intruding or anything."

Slowly, he nodded his head. "Yeah, that sounds great." He paused, raking his hand through his messy bronze hair. "Well, I should go home and shower. And I've got to check in at a couple of the clubs, so..."

"Alright. We usually eat around seven." I said. A small smile played on his lips and he nodded.

"Seven, then." And then he was gone, leaving me to continue on with my day.

* * *

I wasn't by any means some great chef, but I'd spent a lot of time in the kitchen with my mom growing up, so I new a thing or two about cooking. Tonight's menu was entirely Italian. Alice and I always tried to theme our dinners. Last weeks was Thai.

Currently, I was finishing up the puttanesca sauce while Alice and Jasper sat at the breakfast bar giving each other cute looks while eating the antipasto skewers that I had put together as an appetizer. The pasta had just come to a boil when I heard a knock at the door.

"I'll get it." Alice offered.

A few moments later she returned with Edward in tow. I turned and offered him a small smile, surprised to see a large bouquet of sunflowers and red and orange roses. The combination was one I'd never considered, but was absolutely stunning.

"Edward brought us flowers for the table." Alice said cheerfully, returning to her boyfriends side.

"Uh.. yeah." He smiled sheepishly, holding them out to me.

"Thank you.." I said, unable to keep from smiling wider as I took them from him. I could feel Alice watching us carefully.

A timer went off, causing me to jump slightly.

"Oh, uh.." I handed him back to flowers and quickly got a vase out. "Would you mind putting them in water while I finish everything up."

"Yeah, of course." He said, taking the vase over to the sink to fill it.

Fifteen minutes later, we were all seated around the table enjoying the pasta and some wine that Alice had picked up.

"Bella, this is amazing! Like.. 5 star restaurant level amazing." Jasper complimented me. I blushed.

"It's nothing, really. Just my grandmas recipe." I said, shrugging.

"No, it's really great." Edward said, causing me blush to deepen.

"Well, thanks. I'm glad you guys like it." When everyone had finally finished, Alice had taken it about herself to banish the boys to the kitchen to do the cleaning while her and I moved to the living room with our wine glasses. We sat at either end of the couch, angled slightly so that we were facing one another.

"So.." She drawled, swishing the wine in her glass around and watching me with a smirk. "You and my brother, huh? When did that happen?" She asked.

"Oh, god. Alice, no. It didn't happen. We're just... friends. I think." I said, violently shaking my head.

"Friends?" She tried and failed to stifle her laugh. "Bella, my brother doesn't have friends. Just siblings. And he certainly doesn't bring us flowers."

"Well.. I don't know know what to tell you." I shrugged. Finishing off my wine, I discarded my glass on the coffee table. "I don't know that I'm ready for a relationship right now anyways. And even if I was, Edward and I.. well, we're not compatible, I don't think. We're very different."

"You hardly know him." Alice pointed out. "Bella, would dating Edward really be so awful?" She pressed, raising an eyebrow. "He looks at you in a way that I've never seen him look at anyone else. I can tell that there's something there; feelings that he wants to explore."

There are feelings there that he want's to explore. I want to tell her, but the conversation that Edward and I had had was private, and I didn't want her getting any ideas in her head that this was something that she could push onto us. And after everything that Edward had done up to last night, could I even trust him? Trust is the foundation of a strong relationship, and it seemed to be something that we have yet to establish.

"It wouldn't be awful." I agree, feeling the heat rise to my cheeks. "But I think that it's going to be a while before I'm at the point where I could date your brother. I have my own unresolved issues, as does he. It's just not good timing."

She simply rolled her eyes and smirked.

"Whatever you say, Doctor Phil." Her teasing words cause me to laugh. For the first time since I've gotten to New York, everything seems easy and natural. It no longer feels like I'm trying for force myself to live the life that other's expect of me. Instead, I'm just living for myself. And I feel... happy? I think I feel happy.

"We're taking the yacht out this weekend!" Alice announces, causing me to jump slightly, the in my hand slipping and falling to the ground.

Our discussion after dinner last night had been promptly dropped after a little more teasing from my roommate, and we enjoyed the rest of our night with a movie before the boys left. I used my time today to get caught out on the classwork I'd missed yesterday.

* * *

"We're taking the yacht out, and you're coming with us." She reiterated, standing with her hand on her hip as if she hadn't just barged into my room.

"Uh.. I don't know." I said, bending down and retrieving my novel. "I'm not much of a beach person."

"But its not a beach, it's a yacht." She pointed out. "C'mon, Bella! Bikini's, sunshine, mimosas.. It'll be the perfect Saturday. But only if my best friend is with me." She pouted. "It's supposed to be beautiful out on Saturday. Plus Edward will be here." Alice waggled her eyebrows as if that last statement alone would entice me.

"Alice.." I sighed, rubbing my eyes. I felt like she was always dragging me out to do things that ended badly. But then, I was having so many new experiencing that I wouldn't have had if it weren't for her. "Alright, fine. But I don't have a swimsuit." I conceded.

"We can go shopping!" She squealed, grabbing my hand and yanking me off the bed.

A little sunshine couldn't hurt, right?


	11. Chapter 11

_**AN: Hey guys! I'm so sorry that it's been so long since I published an update. Life has just been crazy lately. I'm going to try and have another chapter to you tomorrow to make up for it. Thanks for sticking with this story! Stay safe everyone!**_

It was unseasonably warm in New York for it being this late in August, but I couldn't complain. Back home we'd already be bundled up in hoodies and raincoats, hiding away by the heaters when we weren't out and about. So, I was going to soak up the sunshine while I could.

"This will probably be the last time we take the yacht out this year. Dad usually puts in away in early August, but it's just been so nice out that he felt we'd be able to use it one last time before the summer's over." Alice had been babbling on while I rushed around like a crazy person double checking to make sure that we had everything that we might possibly needs. Beach towels, sunscreen, a change of clothes, a sweatshirt in case it got cold in the evening, snacks, bottled water...

Alice had assured me that even if we did forget something, the boat most definitely had it, but that didn't stop me from coming prepared.

"Hey! Are you guys ready?"

Emmett and Jasper had let themselves into the apartment using the spare key that Alice had given to Jasper. To my dismay, Rosalie trailed behind them with a bitter look on her face.

"I think we're prepared for the apocalypse the way that Bella packed." Alice laughed, getting up from the couch. Her face scrunched into confusion when she saw the three of them crowded into our kitchen. "I thought Edward was riding with you guys."

"Slight change of plans. He had a meeting this morning and said that he'd meet us at the docks." Emmett explained, grabbing an apple out of the bowl on the counter and biting down into it. I didn't miss the look of questioning that Alice exchanged with her older brother and her boyfriend, the three of them seeming to have a silent conversation.

"I didn't realize she was coming." Rose said, narrowing her eyes at me. "We don't have enough room in the car."

I rolled my eyes at her while Emmett replied, "Three people can fit in the back, Rose." It resulted in an irritated sigh from the blonde.

"If you don't like it, you can take a cab by yourself." Alice sing-songed, grabbing the bags I had packed and brushing past her. The two boys shared a look that made me feel as though we were about to embark on a very long day.

* * *

"Its about time you guys got here." Edward rolled his eyes as we stepped out of the car.

"Hey, don't blame us. I took forever to get all the girls into one car." Emmett said, holding his hands up in surrender. A hint of a smile played on Edwards lips as if he wanted to laugh, but was holding back.

"Hi, Edward." Rose gave him a gleaming smile, much different from the scowl she'd been wearing the entire ride. He gave her a curt nod and then quickly looked away, much to her dismay. Instead, he surprising turned his attention on me, which I'm sure pissed Rose off even more than she already was.

"Hey, Bella. Glad you could join us." He greeted. A offered him a small smile and a short nod in return.

"Well, you know Alice doesn't doesn't take no for an answer." My comment resulted in a loud objection from my best friend and a cluster of laughs from the guys.

Emmett opted to grab all the bags as we were lead off down the boardwalk in search of the boat. The 'modest' yacht that Alice had told me we'd be going on turned out to be a tri-level yacht that could easily fit a hundred people on it. She and I were going to have to have a discussion one of these days about what the word modest meant. I probably looked like a deer caught in the headlights as I gazed around, taking it all in. The yacht itself was nicer than my parents house. '

"C'mon, let's go get changed!" Alice grabbed my arm, tugging me off to one of the bedrooms on board. "You can use the bathroom, I'll change out here." She offered, handing me my bag before pushing me inside.

Swimsuit shopping had been somewhat of a nightmare. I wasn't comfortable in the kind of stuff Alice liked and she had insisted that I looked like a nun in the items that I had picked out. Finally, we'd both been able to agree on one. The top wrapped in the front and only showed a modest level of cleavage, and was a cheery yellow color, matching the high-waisted black bottoms that had sunflowers printed all over them. I pulled my hair up into a high ponytail and lathered sunscreen all over my pale skin before joining Alice.

"I figure we'll lay in the sun for an hour or two and then go from there." She said as she zipped her bag shut and stashed it on a chair. I did the same with mine and followed her back up to the main deck.

Almost instantly, I felt self conscious. Rose was laid out on a chair sporting a bright red bikini that left very little to the imagination and showed off her perfectly shaped body. I knew I didn't look ever half that good, and felt myself tugging on the hems of the bottoms.

"Stop that." Alice said in a hushed tone, swatting at my hand. "Just ignore her. That's what Edward and I do." She said, moving over to some chairs that were a good distance away from the blonde bombshell. "You look fantastic." She added, scanning over my bathing suit choice approvingly. I gave her a half-hearted smile and dropped down onto one of the chairs, slipping my sunglasses over my eyes as I stretched out.

The warmth from the sun felt great, and I closed my eyes for just a moment before a spot of shade fell over me, and I opened them once more to see a woman dressed in white setting down a plate of fruit and two champagne glasses filled with what I'm sure were mimosas before she quickly scurried away.

"Your parents aren't joining us?" I asked Alice as I took a strawberry and popped it into my mouth.

"No. This was all my idea, and I managed to get my brothers to agree to it." She grinned. Her expression held an air of mischievous to it and I couldn't help but feel like she was planning something. I was going to call her out on it, but decided that I'd rather be blissfully ignorant, so instead I nodded.

The sound of a chair scraping across the deck startled me and I looked to my left to see Edward dragging his chair over to where Alice and I were currently laid out. I raised an eyebrow at him and he glanced back at Rose with a hard expression. I completely understood and went back to minding my own business. I was actually glad to have my sunglasses on, because I couldn't stop stealing glances at Edward.

This was the first time I'd seen him shirtless, and I wouldn't lie, it was a good view. I was just about to look away when I realized that he was looking at me as well. He wasn't wearing sunglasses, so I could see the subtle glances as his eyes moved up and down my body, and suddenly, I felt like I needed to cover up. But I stayed still, moving my eyes back to the sky and closing them.

"Oh shoot!" I heard Alice say after about a half hour had passed. "I left my book in the room. I'm going to get it." I paid her no mind, keeping my eyes closed and enjoying the warmth of the sun. The silence resumed, but then was quickly interrupted again.

"Edward." This time in was Rose using her whining voice. "Can you please put sunscreen on my back." I opened one eye and looked up. Somehow, the thin triangles that were covering her breasts had seemingly moved, and if they moved anymore, her nipples would've been completely exposed. I felt like I was going to be sick looking at her.

"Get Jasper to do it. Or Emmett." Edward didn't even open his eyes to look at her when he responded. Rose just huffed in response and stomped off like a child. And suddenly, I couldn't hold my tongue.

"Why is she always around if the majority of you can't stand her?" I asked, pushing myself up into a sitting position. Edward sighed and followed my lead by sitting up as well.

"She's Jasper's sister, and she's very hard headed. We've tried to keep her away but she just keeps coming back no matter how bad we want her to go away. Not to mention Emmett has a thing for her for god knows what reason. Which makes me feel like shit when she's constantly throwing herself at me. I don't know how much clearer I can make my disinterest in her." He raked his fingers through his hair, glancing over to where she was pouting. "She's sort of latched herself on to the family business as well, which makes things difficult." He said, shaking his head slightly.

"I'm sorry.." I said softly. Maybe I didn't quite understand the situation he was going through, but was empathetic towards it regardless.

"It's not your fault." He pointed out, laying back once more. "Just ignore her. And if she gives you any trouble, more than you can handle, come to me. I'll set her straight." He offered, before shutting his eyes once more.

* * *

"Let's play a game." Emmett suggested.

It had dipped into the early afternoon now, and I was officially done laying in the sun. My pale skin couldn't handle much more exposure, I didn't think, so I was currently curled up in a chair underneath an umbrella.

"We're not children, Emmett." Edward responded from where he was still laying.

"Who cares? I'm bored." The burly man pouted, and I couldn't help but laugh.

"What game to you want to play?" I asked, stretching out my legs a little bit. Emmett was always a happy go lucky, fun loving person, and his positive attitude was infection.

"Truth or drink!" He stood up and crossed the deck to the cooler that was currently filled to the bring with various beers and malt liquors. Everyone had different reactions, including Alice chirping a happy 'sure' while Edward simply groaned and said he wasn't playing.

Jasper and Rose didn't seem to mind, and joined where he had sat down, grabbing a drink for themselves. Emmett wiggled one of the drinks he had in his hand at me. "You in our out?" He grinned. I couldn't help but smile.

"In." I said, crossing the deck and snatching the drink from him as I plopped down into their circle. It didn't go unnoticed that Edward too finally decided to join us when I had. He sat between Rose and I, which left a triumphant smirk on her face.

"Let the games begin!" Alice cheered.

Several rounds in, I had healthy buzz going without having crossed the line into being absolutely drunk, which was good. Everyone was laughing at Alice's story about the time she peed her pants at the mall and Edward had to bring her a change of clothes.

"Alright, my turn." Alice spun the bottle that was centered in the middle of us and I felt a little bit nervous when it landed on me. The rules were simple, it was the same as truth or dare. Except if you picked dare, you had to take a drink before you completed it. If you refused the dare, you had to finish your drink. "Oooo. Truth, or drink?" She asked.

Truth seemed like a bad choice. Lord knows what embarrassing thing Alice would have her confessing. And the dares up until this point hadn't been so bad. "Dare." I stated with confidence.

"I dare you... to spend the next thirty minutes in the cabin bedroom that our stuff is in with Edward." She giggled, and I swear Edward and I rolled our eyes at the same time.

"You're so immature, Alice." Edward commented, to which she responded by sticking her tongue out at him.

I was content to turn down her dare and chug my drink, but then I caught Rosalie's eyes. They were narrowed slightly, as if she were issuing her own dare to me to go off with the guy that she wanted. And I just couldn't help myself.

"Fine. We'll just go read a book or something." I laughed, standing and holding out my hand to Edward. He seemed surprised, but took it and hauled himself up. As we walked off together, I shot a smirk back at Rose.


	12. Chapter 12

**_AN: Hey guys! As promised, here's another chapter. I hope you all enjoy. Thank you all so much for the support. I know this story has gotten off to a slow start, but I have so many plans for it and I'm excited to keep writing! Stay Safe!_**

It was hard not to stumble as we walked away from the group, but Edward kept me steady. I realized once I had stood up that I was much more intoxicated than I had originally thought, not that I really cared. I was having fun. Pissing Rosalie off was fun. When we finally made it to the bedroom, I collapsed on the bed, glad to be out of the hot sun. Edward was watching me with an amused expression.

"What the hell are we supposed to do for a half an hour." I whined.

"You really should've thought about that before you accepted my sisters childish dare." He pointed out. Sitting down on the edge of the bed, he nudged me over to make room for himself and laid down next to me with his arms behind his head. "We could take a nap." He suggested, closing his eyes.

"Your sister just wants us to fuck and fall in love." I said with a roll of my eyes. And then, realizing what I'd just blurted out, my eyes went wide with horror and a deep blush covered my face. I noticed that Edwards eyes shot open as well. He peered down at me and I attempted to bury my face in the pillow.

"Is that so?" He mused, the initial shock of my words subsiding quickly for him.

"Well yeah. She thinks you're attracted to me and that I'm somehow special to you." I said, my voice muffled by the pillows. It was true that we'd discussed him having feelings that he wasn't ready to explore yet, but that didn't make me special. He'd surely had tons of girlfriends over the years. He wasn't an unattractive man by any means.

Suddenly, my head was being pulled up so that I was eye to eye with him. His hand cupped my cheeks, his thumb brushing across my lips.

"What if I told you she was right?" His voice was raspy, and for the first time since I'd met him, he sounded unsure of himself. His eyes were slightly glazed over as he looked down at my lips. And then I made a stupid, drunken decision.

My lips crashed against his and he matched my movements with equal amounts of heat and passion. My mind was clouded with alcohol and lust as his lips left my mouth and made their way to my neck, leaving a burning sensation wherever they touched. This was a bad idea on so many levels, but I was too intoxicated by it all to care.

His mouth found mine again as he climbed on top of me, his hands roaming up and down my body. I let my own lift up and explore his bare chest, and then his back, before he suddenly rolled us over so that was on top of him, causing me to giggle. He laughed too, and I couldn't help but take a moment to enjoy his infectious smile.

I was glad that my messy hair was up in a bun as I leaned down I pressed another kiss to his lips, and then to his chin, and his neck, before starting a trail down his chest.

"30 minutes is up!" Emmett's booming voice caused me to jump slightly, and I sat up straight, looking over at the door and blinking in confusion.

What had I just done?

Suddenly I was being lifted up and placed on the bed and Edward was rolling off it. His face was void of any emotions as he stood in front of the mirror and did his best to make his hair look normal.

"Edward, I.." He cut me off before I could finish my thought.

"We're both drunk. What we did was fun, but it's not going to happen again. And we're not going to talk about it." He said sharply, meeting my eyes in the mirror. Yep. It was definitely a stupid decision.

"Fine." I said, my voice coming off as hard steel. I didn't have time to think about my bruised ego, or the mistakes I'd just made because they'd notice if we didn't come out. I didn't even spare him a glance as I stormed out of the room. Before I made it back to where everyone was sitting, I did my best to put my happy face back on. It seemed that Rose had disappeared, and everyone else was relaxing rather than playing the game. I was thankful for that.

Taking a seat, Alice gave me a questioning look, but I just smiled dumbly in return before grabbing another drink.

* * *

"Bella, can we talk?" I looked up to see Alice standing in my doorway, looking nervous, much unlike the confident goddess she tended to be.

"Uh, yeah. Give come on in." I replied, shutting the book I was reading and setting it off to the side.

It had been a little over a week since we'd be out on the boat, and I decided that I was no longer going to be making stupid decisions. I threw myself into my school work, rejected going out with Alice over the weekend, and politely declined going to dinner with her family Monday night under the pretenses that I just wasn't feel well.

Alice shuffled into the room and dropped down onto my bed, playing nervously with a loose string on my comforter.

"Are.. Are you mad at me?" She finally spit out. "I mean, ever since that day on the boat, you've just been acting different and I feel like I've done something to upset you." She said, glancing up at me with a worried expression. Almost instantly, I felt awful. It wasn't Alice's fault that her brother had been an asshole, but I'll admit I had been taking it out on her. Reaching over, I grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze.

"Alice, no. I'm not mad at you." I assured her, offering up a soft smile. "I'm mad at your brother, and I'll admit that's why I've been acting distant, but I promise I'm not mad at you. I'll adjust my attitude." I promised.

"Why are you mad at Edward?" She asked. I wasn't going to tell her, really. Edward certainly didn't want anyone to know about it. The memory of his words infuriated me, however, and I decided that I had every right to tell whoever I wanted. So I explained it all to her. She listed closely, her eyes lighting up when I explained our kissing, but then narrowing when I repeated his rather harsh words.

"That asshole!" She exclaimed, causing a small laugh to escape my lips. "Seriously. I don't know who he thinks he is, but that's just uncalled for. I don't care if he's my brother. That was a total jerk move." She sighed and crossed her arms, leaning back against the wall. After a few moments of fuming, she finally said, "There's a frat party tonight. Let's ditch Friday classes and go."

"Alice.." I said, ready to say not.

"No. Don't Alice me. We're going. You're going to looked hotter than hell and find a gorgeous boy to spend your time with, and my brother's going to wish he'd been nicer to you." She insisted. There was no arguing with her, so instead I shrugged and nodded my head. Honestly, it sounded like a good time to me. I'd been dwelling on Edward and his attitude for way too long. Maybe a party was exactly what I needed.

* * *

A tight black crop top and a pair of tight ripped jeans that made my ass look "phenomenal" according to Alice was the outfit of the night as we danced the night away downing drink after drink without a care in the world. Alice was grinding against Jasper while I was just enjoying moved around in front of her, being pushed by other people in every direction.

But then I noticed her expression change and I frowned slightly, turning to see whoever it was she seemed annoyed with. To my dismay, Edward was standing across the room with his gaze narrowed at as. I rolled my eyes and shot Alice a smile before promptly making a beeline in the opposite direction, wanting to put as much distance between him and I as possible.

"Whoa! I'm so sorry about that!" I was suddenly on my ass with a tall, tan skinned by standing over me wearing a goofy grin. He held his hand out and I took it, allowing him to haul me to my feet.

"Don't worry about it." I replied, shaking my head.

"I'm Embry." He introduced himself after letting go of my hand.

"Bella." My name hadn't come out of my own mouth, but rather one that was behind me. I watched as the boy in front of me took one look at the person and nodded goodbye to me as he disappeared into the crowd.

"What do you want, Edward?" I didn't even bother to hide the annoyance on my face as I turned to face him.

"I'd like to speak to you." He said, holding out a hand to me. "In private." He added after I had crossed my arms and stay put.

"Fine." I conceded with a sigh. I didn't take his hand, but I did allow him to lead me through the house until we reached the back door. We went outside and wandered through the yard until we were alone along the side of the house, concealed by a large rhododendron bush. The cool night air felt good compared to the hot sticky air inside the house.

Leaning against the siding, I waited for him to speak.

And then suddenly he had me pinned up against the house as his lips crashed into mine with an intensity that I'd never felt before. My mind was screaming at me that this was a horribly idea, but my body felt entirely different. I matched his movements with as much heat and passion as he was conveying, my body shivering as his fingertips brushed up my sides.

"I just... can't... stay away from you." He said in between kisses, his mouth moving to my neck. My head rolled back as I closed my eyes. It seemed that he was just as intoxicated by me as I was by him. His lips found their way back to mine once more and I just couldn't find it in me to push him away, because the truth was, I'd been thinking about kissing him again ever since that day on the boat. As much as he pissed me off, I couldn't deny that he made me feel something I'd never felt before.

After what felt like an eternity, he finally pulled away, taking a step back and running his hands through his hair as if he were stressed out by the whole encounter. I leaned against the side of the house for support while I tried to catch my breath.

"Bella, this... you and me.. It's a really bad idea." He said, pacing back and forth. I watched him for a moment, unsure of how to respond.

"Why is it so bad?" I finally got up the courage to ask.

"Because you're going to get hurt." He didn't say that I might get hurt, he was insistent that it was inevitable, which just confused me even more.

"Edward.. I don't want to play these games with you. If you don't want to be around me, then stop coming near me. You're so hot and cold all the time that it's starting to give me whiplash. I'm not going to let you continue dragging me back and forth like some plaything that you can dump off when you're bored." I was tired of his attitude, and at that moment, tired of him in general. Pushing myself up, I began to walk away from him.

"Where are you going?" He sighed, reached out to grab my arm. But I moved a little faster so that I was out of his reach, and promptly flipped him off as I headed towards the front of the house.

My mind was all over the place regarding what had just happened and I needed to put as much distance between myself and Edward as possible. I pulled my phone out and was in the process of getting a cab when I felt the hair on the back of neck stand up. Looked up to see the blonde haired man I'd met at the bar the first night I went out with Alice. James, I think is what his name was.

He was standing across the street watching me with a mischievous expression. His eyes went to the person behind me, and I didn't have to turn around to know that Edward was there. His presence only caused James to smirk before he finally got into the car that he'd been leaning against and drove off.

"Let's get you home." Edward said softly, resting his hand on my shoulder.

For once, I didn't argue.


End file.
